Eric Lutzwick

Date of Award

1-2014

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Abstract

Elder maltreatment is a widespread and growing healthcare problem in the United States. The National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) defines elder mistreatment as "intentional actions that cause harm or create a serious risk of harm to a vulnerable elder by a caregiver or other person who stands in a trust relationship to the elder. This includes failure by a caregiver to satisfy the eider's basic needs or to protect the elder from harm". This paper is going to examine a case report highlighting the difficulties that healthcare providers must overcome in order to diagnose elder maltreatment as well as the assessment tools and tests needed to diagnose and screen for injury. A literature review looking at the growing problem of elder abuse; including the risk factors for elder maltreatment, difficulties diagnosing elder maltreatment, and why patients and physicians often do not report maltreatment will be presented. Having a greater understanding of what elder mistreatment is, who is at risk, and who to screen for elder maltreatment will help improve the primary care providers' ability to diagnose and manage these delicate situations

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