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Primary prevention is concerned with [http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/sh-sa-eng.php health promoton], and specific protection<ref name="maltreatment" />. Health promotion includes public education about normal aging, support for elders and caregivers, as well as community programs to help elders in their own home <ref name="maltreatment" /><ref name="systematic" />. Caregivers in facilities are likely to abuse due to misunderstanding as well as a lack of skills or knowledge. Training caregivers and providing them with important knowledge about how to work with an elder will help reduce the risk of abuse<ref name="prevention" />. Primary prevention is concerned with [http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/sh-sa-eng.php health promoton], and specific protection<ref name="maltreatment" />. Health promotion includes public education about normal aging, support for elders and caregivers, as well as community programs to help elders in their own home <ref name="maltreatment" /><ref name="systematic" />. Caregivers in facilities are likely to abuse due to misunderstanding as well as a lack of skills or knowledge. Training caregivers and providing them with important knowledge about how to work with an elder will help reduce the risk of abuse<ref name="prevention" />.
-Another form of prevention that may be set in place is the screening of hospitals upon the discharge of elderly patients. The hospital staff evaluates families for their likelihood of abuse, and if it is necessary, the elder will be placed in a nursing home instead <ref name="maltreatment" />. [[Image:checklist.jpg|thumbnail|right|]]+Another form of prevention that may be set in place is screening by hospitals upon the discharge of elderly patients. The hospital staff evaluates families for their likelihood of abuse, and if it is necessary, the elder will be placed in a nursing home instead <ref name="maltreatment" />. [[Image:checklist.jpg|thumbnail|right|]]
===Secondary Prevention=== ===Secondary Prevention===

Revision as of 15:34, 30 October 2011

Kelsey and Megan, just add your topics above mine!



Contents

Risk Factors and Prevention of Elder Abuse

Risk Factors

Through becoming aware of risk factors, loved ones as well as elders themselves will be more equipped with the knowledge they need to ensure that they do not become victims of abuse.

Behavioural Problems

Behavioural Problemsare described as the resistance of care either verbally or physically by an elder individual[1]. Behavioural problems are also one of the main risk factors for all types of elder abuse. If an elder is displaying difficult behaviours or is acting abusively towards their caregiver, their caregiver is more likely to abuse the elder in return [1]. Caregivers in facilities are also physically assaulted by patients on a regular basis. These behaviours, paired with the lack of knowledge given to caregivers on how to handle conflict with a patient, may lead to an instance of abuse [2].

Physical Impairment

Two specific forms of physical impairments are incontinence as well as failure to maintain personal hygiene[1]. This puts an elder at risk for abuse because caregivers come into contact with them more often so there is an increased opportunity for abuse to occur. The demand for attention and care due to these impairments may lead to neglect or abuse especially in a facility where staff is low, or overworked[1]. Physical impairments may lead to verbal abuse through the belittling of the elder by their caregiver due to their inability to care for themselves.

Cognitive Impairment

Cognitive impairments are things such as problems with memory, thinking, and communication[1]. However, cognitive impairment on its own is not found to be a significant risk factor for abuse towards the elderly[1]. This may be because individuals with cognitive disabilities may have trouble communicating their experiences of abuse to others[1]. However, Mental deficits such as disoriented or aggressive behaviours are found to be significant risk factors because they cause the most stress on the caregiver. [3]

Environmental Risk Factors

Any type of factor that reduces the amount of support available to the caregiver, as well as any factor that leads to a stressful home environment, leads to the increased risk of abuse[3]. One example is the likelihood of care workers in long-term care facilities to abuse elder adults when they are overworked and overstressed [1].If a caregiver in a long-term care facility does not have many coworkers, they are less likely to find support in their time of need[3].

A family member who is also caring for dependent children, as well as working a full-time job and caring for their dependent elder, may be more likely to perform abuse [3].

Other environmental factors include things such as poverty, homelessness, unsafe housing, lack of resources, and social isolation [3].

Prevention of Elder Abuse

Elder abuse is included in both public health and medical boundaries, as well as social work and criminal justice realms. This means that professional preventionand intervention can be set in place to help reduce the risk of elder abuse [4]

Primary Prevention

Primary prevention is concerned with health promoton, and specific protection[3]. Health promotion includes public education about normal aging, support for elders and caregivers, as well as community programs to help elders in their own home [3][5]. Caregivers in facilities are likely to abuse due to misunderstanding as well as a lack of skills or knowledge. Training caregivers and providing them with important knowledge about how to work with an elder will help reduce the risk of abuse[2].

Another form of prevention that may be set in place is screening by hospitals upon the discharge of elderly patients. The hospital staff evaluates families for their likelihood of abuse, and if it is necessary, the elder will be placed in a nursing home instead [3].

Secondary Prevention

This form of prevention is mainly concerned with detecting and stopping abuse as soon as possible [3]. One way to detect elder abuse, is through an assessment tool that can be used by caregivers which allows them to evaluate the home as well as the family where elder abuse is suspected [3][5]. In addition, careful monitoring of the family as well as the elder is important, including the monitoring of medical records. This is to look for indicators of abuse, such as burns, cuts, bruises, and lacerations that are not documented in their medical history, as well as a change in the psychological well being of the elder [3].

Tertiary Prevention

Tertiary prevention is concerned with the rehabilitation of an abused individual as well as the abuser, and the family of the abused [3]. This form of help for the family and elder is done through providing a live-in caregiver, placing the elder in a nursing home, as well as in-home support. In extreme cases, where the home cannot be rehabilitated, the elder will be placed into a home and an adult protective service agency may be involved [3].

Caregivers may be helped and rehabilitated through education, awareness, and training towards how to care for an elder individual. This will provide the caregiver with the skills needed to resolve conflict and treat the patient or loved one correctly[2] [5]. In addition, interventions for the caregiver and abused are aimed towards promoting awareness, which in turn will increase the reporting of elder abuse[4].

Mickey Rooney speaks about his experience with elder abuse. One of the many ways to spread awareness is through speaking about it publicly.

--Jb08zl 16:26, 23 October 2011 (EDT) --Jb08zl 21:50, 24 October 2011 (EDT) --Jb08zl 13:59, 25 October 2011 (EDT) --Jb08zl 14:55, 30 October 2011 (EDT)

Notes and References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Biroscak, B.J., Conner, T., Fang, Y., Page, C., Post, C.,Prokhorov, A. (2010). Elder Abuse in Long-Term Care: Types, Patterns, and Risk Factors. Research On Aging, 32, 323-348. doi:10.1177/0164027509357705
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Dana DeHart PhD, Jennifer Webb MA & Carol Cornman RNPA (2009): Prevention of Elder Mistreatment in Nursing Homes: Competencies for Direct-Care Staff, Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 21:4, 360-378
  3. 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 Hackbarth, D.P., Andresen, P., Konestabo, B. (1989). Maltreatment of the elderly in the home: A framework for prevention and intervention. Journal Of Home Health Care Practice, 2(1),43-56.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Kim L. Alt MD, Annie L. Nguyen MPH & Linda N. Meurer MDMPH (2011): The Effectiveness of Educational Programs to Improve Recognition and Reporting of Elder Abuse and Neglect: A Systematic Review of the Literature, Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 23:3, 213-233
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Jenny Ploeg RNPhD, Jana Fear MLIS, Brian Hutchison MD, Harriet MacMillan MD & Gale Bolan RNBScN (2009): A Systematic Review of Interventions for Elder Abuse, Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 21:3, 187-210
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