Government Advice on Handling Elder Mistreatment and the Extent of Mistreatment
The government, through the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), admits that there simply isn’t enough research to support the actual amount of elder mistreatment in existence. This is even worse in terms of financial abuse, simply because reporting is inconsistent and measurement tools are not in place. Additionally, states have different measures of what is considered abuse, and different tools to measure incidences. This does not stop the Federal government, however, from attempting to streamline the research and offering information on how to handle any type of elder mistreatment.
The extent of mistreatment, though currently not accurately measured, can be traced to a few key circumstances. The elders who are mistreated the most in the home share some common identifiers:
- Low household income (not for financial abuse, but for general abuse)
- Unemployment of the elder person or retirement
- Declining health
- Prior traumatic events
- Little to no social support systems
The NIJ reports these identifiers for doctors, caregivers, and loved ones to actively understand that these elderly individuals are most at risk for any type of abuse, including financial abuse. The NIJ recommends better documentation processes, especially for professionals dealing with an in-home care elderly patient. Only documentation will aid in government research, revealing how many patients are actually financially abused.
Documentation will also help any non-professional in building a case for financial abuse. This type of elderly abuse is the hardest type to catch for a number of reasons; agencies who help will need as much documentation as possible to give the elderly person the best help possible.
The NIJ recommends everyone document incidences and any suspected abuse. This will help the government respond to the initial incident, and build programs to become more proactive in the future.
If you have any questions on proper documentation of elderly abuse, call Vancouver Home Health Care Agency today.
At Vancouver Home Health Care Agency, Caring and Compassion is our business.