None of the death certificates from the abused group ascribed death to injury or poisoning. Physicians need to learn to ask hard questions and think about the possible environmental causes for their patients' symptoms. Frequently, clinicians never even think to address that issue. Clinicians also may fail to investigate emotional symptoms of neglect. In many cases, doctors simply prescribe medication for depression instead of probing for the syndrome's cause.
Depression is common in older adults, but it also is a natural response to abuse or neglect.
Similarly, Alzheimer's patients frequently have delusions that people are breaking into their homes and stealing their possessions. I think we really need to get on the stick and recognize that patients are telling us something. I think we are ignoring those cries. Even in clear cases of abuse, medical personnel are often reluctant to report abuse. We recently had a situation where, in one month's time, two very demented, bedbound women in the same facility showed up with vaginal bleeding and tearing.