Elder Abuse

Nitin Budhwar, MD Reviewed 06/2020

BASICS

DESCRIPTION

The National Center of Elder Abuse divides abuse into three categories (age >60) (1):
- Domestic: abuse from someone who has a special relationship with the elderly individual (spo...

DIAGNOSIS

A high index of suspicion when risk factors are present is important; types of abuse should be kept in mind as some types might not be obvious. There are very few validated instruments desig...

TREATMENT

Most states require all health care providers to report suspected elder abuse to a local agency such as the Adult Protective Services (http://www.nccafv.org/state_elder_abuse_hotlines.htm).

MEDICATION

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

Victims of abuse should not be discharged without reliable follow-up, including:

Primary care physician visit soon after discharge (i.e., within 1 week) with exce...

REFERENCES

National Center on Elder Abuse. Elder Abuse Prevalence and Incidence. Washington, DC: National Center on Elder Abuse; 2005. [View Abstract on OvidMedline]

Mosqueda L, Dong X. Elder abuse a...

ADDITIONAL READING

Burnett J, Dyer CB, Halphen JMet al. Four subtypes of self-neglect in older adults: results of a latent class analysis. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2014;62(6):1127–1132. [View Abstract ...

CODES

ICD10

T74.11XA Adult physical abuse, confirmed, initial encounter
T74.21XA Adult sexual abuse, confirmed, initial encounter
T74.01XA Adult neglect or abandonment, confirmed, initial encounter
T74.91...

CLINICAL PEARLS

Elder abuse, or elder mistreatment, is a condition in which the physical, psychological, or financial well-being of an older adult is infringed upon through intentional acts or lack of...

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