Further Assessment
Posted by recep on March 26th, 2009Once the physician determines that abuse or neglect is probably occurring, a number of other specific issues must be assessed before a plan of management is formulated.
Because there is no prototypical abuser of the elderly, the health professional must evaluate the specific cause of abuse in each case. Understanding the cause or causes provides a framework for intervention that can help protect the victim. For example, intervention for a victim with a psychotic family member would be different from that for a recent stroke victim whose caregiver is under extreme stress. The physician should remember that abusers do not abuse continuously; between episodes and when with outsiders, they may exhibit nonabusive behavior. The medical and psychosocial assessment of the victim should address the following questions
Tags: Further Assessment
