Elder Abuse Assessment

Assessment and Intervention of Abuse, Neglect and Substance Disorders in Older Adults The older adult population is one of the fastest growing populations in the world and often time’s abuse, neglect and substance disorders in this population are under reported and or under diagnosed. This paper will help define elder abuse and neglect as well as discuss possible assessment tools and intervention that maybe used to help identify and deal with this growing problem. Healthcare providers have a legal and ethical obligation to report any suspicion of abuse and neglect, including self-neglect that could be a result of a substance abuse disorder.
Abuse and Neglect According to Hess (2011), there are seven different types of abuse and neglect

These assessments can be time consuming and difficult to administer. Any screening tool or assessment for elder abuse and neglect needs to be completed in private without the caregiver’s involvement. The Elder Abuse Suspicion Index tool is a six item questionnaire that can be administered by any health professional in an office setting and usually takes about two-three minutes to complete. The Indicator of Abuse Screening Tool is a twenty-nine item assessment that requires a two to three home visit by a healthcare professional. The Elder Assessment Instrument is a fifty-one item Likert-scale checklist that can be completed in an office setting by any healthcare provider. One of the most widely used tools is the Brief Abuse Screen which consists of five questions and takes less than one minute to administer. (Wang, Brisbin, Loo & Straus,

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (2016), forty percent of adults, ages sixty-five and older, drink alcohol and this can complicate common health problems older adults already face such as diabetes, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, liver problems and mood or memory disorders. Alcohol consumption or other substance use can predispose patients to dangerous interaction with certain medications. Effects of a substance abuse disorder can easily be misinterpreted as signs and symptoms of physical and emotional abuse and often lead to issues with self-neglect.
Medical Complication- Diabetes In a study conducted by Ramsey, Engler, Harrington, Smith, Fagan, Stein and Friedmann (2010), it was proven that the consumption of alcohol negatively impacts a person’s self-care behaviors. Alcohol decreases the person’s motivation for taking medications, maintaining a proper diet, monitoring glucose levels and performing regular exercise. It is important to educate patient’s on the need to avoid or limit alcohol to prevent issues with medication and diet compliance, reinforcing the need for glucose control to prevent complications, disabilities