Mistreatment of nursing home residents by staff is a well-known phenomenon, and policies and initiatives have been developed to detect, prevent, and prosecute such abuse. In an observational study, mistreatment committed by other residents, including threats and physical, verbal, and sexual actions, was determined and compared with that committed by staff.
Use this study to:
- List the ways in which elderly patients might be abused. What forms of abuse need to be considered, beyond physical and psychological? Use the accompanying editorial to help frame the discussion.
- When should we consider the possibility that our patients have been victims of elder abuse?
- Road trip! Have you ever visited a nursing home? Do you think visiting one (or more) might help you to better understand your patients’ worlds and factors that might be important to consider when providing care and/or planning ongoing care?
- In what ways might patients be financially abused? By whom?
- Ask your patients about their living arrangements. Do they like them? Do they feel safe? What would they change given their medical needs? To whom can they turn for help when they have problems?