Indicators of abuse. Diagnosis

Risk factors for elder abuse are not unanimously accepted; Non-validated warning signs, lack of questionnaires or reliable evaluation methods, lack of quality care protocols in the care of the elderly ... However, there are more and more studies to study what these indicators are and help to diagnose these situations, as well as to be alert to prevent them.

Indicators of neglect in the care of the elderly

• Bad nutrition
• Poor personal care, dirty clothes
• Poor hygiene in your home
• Repetition falls
• Fecal impaction
• Lack of glasses or dental prostheses, when necessary
• Drug intoxication
• Contractures due to lack of mobility

• Frequent doctor changes
• Caregiver overload
• Fear of the victim to the caregiver, denial of the injury by the victim
• Delay between the time of the injury and the request for assistance, inconsistent medical history, discrepancy between information provided by the victim and the caregiver
• Comments from other patients

Physical abuse

• External appearance: poor hygiene, inappropriate clothing, cachexia
• Physical signs: traumatic alopecia, frequent falls, unexplained, symmetrical skin lesions, in different evolutionary phases, burns, pressure ulcers in poor condition, multiple fractures ...

Neuropsychiatric symptoms

• Anxiety
• Confusion
• Disorientation
• Oversedation
• Fear
• Recent noticeable behavior change
• Striking memory loss with no apparent cause

Sexual abuse

• Sexually transmitted diseases
• Ripped clothes with blood stains
• Irritative signs, lacerations, wounds, bruises or pain in the genital area.

Emotional abuse

• Fearful attitude, paranoia
• Anxiety Depression
• Low self-esteem, passive behavior, helplessness, feeling of guilt
• Seeking attention and affection

Warning signs and early signs of abuse

• Inconsistent explanations regarding the mechanism of injury production
• Delay in requesting medical assistance
• Repeated visits to emergency services and hospitals for changing reasons
• Involuntary administration of medications
• Lack of response to adequate treatments
• Poor evolution of the lesions (ulcers) after applying the appropriate measures.
• Malnutrition for no apparent reason
• Dehydration
• Repeated falls
• Contradictions in the account of what happened between the patient and the abuser
• Attitude of fear, restlessness or passivity
• Altered mood, depression, anxiety, or confusion
• Refusal of the caregiver to leave the elderly alone
• The abused old man is taken to the hospital by someone else
• Abandonment in the hospital emergency room by your caregiver
• Frequent visits to the emergency department for exacerbation of chronic diseases despite correct treatment and adequate resources
• Lack of communication of the victim with the doctor when the caregiver is present
• Housing that presents terrible hygienic conditions and is inadequate to live in it
• Previous history of suspected abuse episodes
• Drug monitoring that shows inadequate doses (infra-therapeutic or toxicity) or use of drugs (psychotropics) not prescribed by the doctor