At a prevention level, more education on the elderly and elder abuse should be offered in graduate schools. Continuing education classes on this issue should be required for anyone working with individuals and families. This hospital receives a high proportion of elderly patients as they have a geriatric research facility on the grounds. When maltreatment reporting laws were first enacted in 1980, Beth Israel Hospital responded. For example, emergency unit nurses receive specific training in elder abuse screening and detection during their orientation.
Care is determined for each individual case depending upon specific history and needs.
While this multidisciplinary approach is invaluable in performing thorough evaluations and developing appropriate treatment plans, it would also be helpful to include a nursing home administrator or home care provider in the assessment process. These professionals could provide alternative options for abused elders and overburdened caregivers alike. As noted previously, many elders may initially resist intervention, but their issues need to be addressed and taken seriously. Even if a hospital does not treat a high proportion of elderly patients, health care professionals need to be well-informed, instead of subscribing to ageist beliefs that the fractures and dehydration that elderly patients may have are due to 'normal' problems of growing older. Since reporting elder abuse can have serious repercussions, care should be taken to ensure that the victim's rights are preserved.