What Physicians Must Do

"There is more that doctors, nurses and others can do. We can start by including elder abuse in conversations with patients and educating ourselves on the resources available.....Physicians initiate only about 2% of the reported cases of abuse and neglect. In a survey of internists and family physicians in Ohio, more than 60 percent of clinicians indicated they had never asked elderly patients about abuse. This needs to change....Finally, it is imperative that we consider the safety and remember the need to provide compassionate care for the victims. Because of the potential for long-lasting health repercussions, functional decline and depression and the possibility of becoming isolated from family or caregivers, they may need particularly careful continuity of care."