Elder abuse

Abstract

Accident and emergency departments are often the first point of contact for an abused older person. Elder abuse is common and can take many forms, including physical, psychological, financial and sexual abuse, or neglect. The stereotypical victim of abuse as a frail roleless female is probably not accurate, as there appears to be little correlation between the degree of physical and mental disability of the victim and subsequent physical abuse. Elder abuse is most often domestic violence that has graduated into old age.

Identifying physical abuse is not always easy - the key feature is the incongruity between the signs of injury and the account of the process that led to it. While accident and emergency departments have well-established mechanisms to deal with suspected cases of child abuse, very few have procedures for handling elder abuse. Raising the awareness of healthcare workers in this area is seen as a vital goal in tackling this problem.