Elder Abuse: Signs, Symptoms, and Reporting Strategies

This presentation, designed for a nursing course (NURBN3018), defines elder abuse as intentional harm or neglect by a caregiver. It identifies common locations where elder abuse occurs, including homes, family residences, and care facilities. The presentation emphasizes recognizing signs and symptoms, such as confusion, weight loss, sleep disturbances, and physical indicators like bruises and bedsores. It proposes teaching strategies for nurses, including assessing environmental risks, building emotional rapport with elders, and advocating for their rights. The rationale stresses nurses' responsibility to identify abuse, assess contributing factors, and implement effective reporting and prevention strategies. The presentation cites relevant research to support its content and concludes with a thank you. The presentation is designed for a peer teaching session and adheres to the marking criteria focused on clear goals, preparation, structure, and reflective critique, with an emphasis on group collaboration.

ELDER ABUSE AND
REPORTING ELDER
ABUSE -PRESENTED BY:

ELDER ABUSE:
Elder abuse can be defined as
an intentional act and the
failure on the part of care
professional or another
person in a relationship based
on the expectation of trust
that creates a risk or a harm
to an older adult (Mysyuk et
al.,2013).

WHERE IT HAPPENS?
Elder abuse can happen
in a number of places
that include the older
person’s home, a family
member’s house, a
residential care home or
an assisted living facility.

RECOGNISING SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT:
Seems confused and depressed
Unexplainable weight loss
Experiences trouble while sleeping
Displays signs of trauma such as rocking back and forth
Is socially withdrawn
Appears messy and unkempt
Presence of burns and bruises
Develops bed sores and other preventable conditions

TEACHING STRATEGIES:
Assess environmental risks
Build effective emotional rapport with senior
elders
Advocate the rights of the elderly in case of
abuse or violation

RATIONALE:
Nursing professionals have the responsibility to
identify abuse and assess the environmental context
that could potentially perpetuate elderly abuse
(Johannesen & LoGiudice, 2013). Nurses must
advocate the rights of senior adults upon sensing
abuse and adapt effective strategies to report and
prevent abuse.

REFERENCES:
Johannesen, M., & LoGiudice, D. (2013). Elder
abuse: A systematic review of risk factors in
community-dwelling elders. Age and
ageing, 42(3), 292-298.
Mysyuk, Y., Westendorp, R. G., & Lindenberg, J.
(2013). Added value of elder abuse definitions:
a review. Ageing research reviews, 12(1), 50-57.

THANK YOU!!