Elder Abuse Is Common, Clues Abound for the Careful Observer

Background: Elder adults are vulnerable to mistreatment in a variety of community and facility settings. The ED is an important setting in which to identify elder mistreatment and initiate interventions. Objective: To study the issues related to and strategies for ED management of elder mistreatment. Pertinent Points: (1) Elder mistreatment is thought to be experienced by 5% to 15% of community-dwelling older adults annually, and rates may be higher in facilities. (2) Mistreatment may include physical abuse causing injury, pain, or impairment; mechanisms include slapping, hair pulling, restraints, force feeding, burning, etc. Sexual abuse of a person incapable of giving consent may include rape, sodomy, coerced nudity, and sexually explicit photographing. Neglect may manifest as failure to provide personal safety or medical care, food, water, clothing, shelter, or medications, or failure to ensure hygiene, adaptive aids such as glasses, dentures, and so forth. Emotional and psycholog more...