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Elder abuse geriatrics: Describing an important new medical specialist

Bloemen EM, Tietz S, Lindberg DM, Hayes J, Lum H, Gottesman E, Elman A, Sullivan M, Pino C, McAuley J, Shaw A, Hancock D, Chang ES, Yasui R, LoFaso VM, Stern ME, Rosen T
J Elder Abuse Negl

Elder mistreatment, including elder abuse and neglect, is a difficult diagnosis to make and manage for most providers. To address this, two elder abuse consultation teams were developed for patients in the hospital and emergency department settings. As these teams have developed, the providers involved have obtained specialized training and experience that we believe contributes to a new field of elder abuse geriatrics, a corollary to the well-established field of child abuse pediatrics. Providers working in this field require specialized training and have a specialized scope of practice that includes forensic evaluation, evaluation of cognition and capacity, care coordination and advocacy for victims of abuse, and collaboration with protective services and law enforcement. Here we describe the training, scope of practice, ethical role, and best practices for elder mistreatment medical consultation. We hope this will serve as a starting point for this new and important medical specialty.

Bloemen EM, Tietz S, Lindberg DM, et al. Elder abuse geriatrics: describing an important new medical specialist. J Elder Abuse Negl. 2024;:1-17. DOI:10.1080/08946566.2024.2339242. PMID: 38602348

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Publication year
Resource type
Peer Reviewed Research
Outcomes
Provider Experience of Care
Population
Elderly
Health Care Professionals
Social Determinant of Health
Violence/Safety
Study design
Other Study Design