NCJ Number
145869
Journal
Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect Volume: 2 Issue: 1-2 Dated: (1990) Pages: 31-50
Date Published
1990
Length
20 pages
Annotation
Currently applied indicators of abuse of the elderly in the community are examined for their usefulness in identifying abuse in an institutional setting.
Abstract
Most of the existing literature has focused on abuse of the elderly in a community setting rather than those in institutions. Because of their frailty and dependence on their caregivers, elderly people in nursing homes are particularly vulnerable to abuse. A major problem that has existed in identifying abuse victims in nursing homes is the lack of instruments designed to identify abuse. In this article, the author conducts a literature review to determine which indicators of abuse in a community setting can also be applied in institutions. The types of abuse looked at were: physical abuse and physical neglect, psychological abuse and psychological neglect, material abuse and violation of personal rights. The findings were that in most cases, the indicators of abuse are the same whether the elderly victim resides in the community or in an institution. Areas that need to be given more consideration in the institutional setting are evidence of the use of restraints, particularly chemical restraint; special problems with identifying the abuser since patients are usually cared for by more than one person; and the existence of documentation of the patients treatment such as patient records, medical logs and activity calendars.