Do not judge behavior. Recognize your emotional early warning signals. Do not attempt to solve consumer problems at once or alone. Constantly doing for or to a consumer, or waiting for them to do something to you is poor caregiving practice. Do not engage consumers in a test of will.
Abuse has a look, a taste, a feel and a sound.
It is sometimes more subtle than bruises or screams. It is often more insidious than blatant, reportable acts of aggression. Often, as staff persons, we can become desensitized to it. Emotionally responsible caregivers are ever vigilant to their own stress points and to the stress levels of those around them. We know that we do not have to solve problems alone and that we can avoid power struggles by creatively diffusing situations.