Recognizing and Managing Abuse and Mistreatment of Older Adults

Elder abuse and mistreatment are defined as a single or repeated act or lack of action (negligence) within a perceived trusty relationship that results in distress, harm, or risk of harm to the older person. Elder abuse and mistreatment can take multiple shapes and forms, ranging from physical, psychological, and sexual abuse, including neglect and financial exploitation (1,2,3).

Unfortunately, although elder abuse and mistreatment are common in emergency department (ED) presentation, they go under-recognized and underreported due to multiple challenges, including failure to identify elder abuse by clinicians (1, 2). Furthermore, delays in recognizing and responding to elder abuse and mistreatment are linked to high abuse-related morbidity and mortality. These issues highlight the need to understand the subtle signs and symptoms along with risk factors for elder abuse and mistreatment (4).

The scenario allows ED staff with different experience levels to practice the challenges of recognizing and responding to elder abuse cases together. It also helps with skill application and knowledge translation, such as having difficult conversations and applying strategies to obtain personal information while establishing an agreed understanding and plan of care with the older person.