Monday, March 23, 2009

Elder Abuse Course

Lawmakers were told that many doctors, counselors and other professionals who deal with seniors don't always recognize signs of abuse and need to get online training that would help them spot such mistreatment.

AB260 would create an online course on recognizing different kinds of elder abuse and require professionals who deal with seniors to complete the course once a year. The course would highlight problems such as medication mismanagement to keep seniors sedated and identifying bruises resulting from physical abuse rather than accidental falls.

The bill would require at least 30 different types of professionals in fields such as dentistry, optometry, podiatry and chiropractic to take the course, along with other types of workers more traditionally associated with senior care such as medical and nursing home staffers, social workers and group caregivers. Also included are marriage and family therapists, athletic trainers, coroners and ambulance drivers.

Full Article and Source:
Elder abuse course outlined

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

On its face, it seems to be a good idea. Knowledge is power and in this case, the knowledge may be the power to help someone.

Anonymous said...

Doing something is better than doing nothing.

However, I fear that persons can be wrongly accused of abuse, APS can receive a phone call from a concerned person,a physician or other professional (with a hidden agenda) that can cause much distress and change the elders life forever.

For example:

Family member took elder parent for routine MD appointment.

Physician made a big deal that the elder parent had a tiny bandage on a finger.

Physician was tryng to put words into the elder's mouth, like a forced confession.

Physician said: "WHO did this to you?" (not how did this happen - it was WHO did this to you!! Red flag warning)

Elder person: "I cut my finger preparing food"

Physician: "I see you need assistance, you cannot take care of yourself anymore"

Elder said: "NO, what are you saying? I can take care of myself and my spouse; it's not as easy as it was but we are doing very well".

Prior to appointment, I advised family member to stay glued to elder patient.

I advised, if physician refuses this request - immediately leave with elder adult.

Anonymous said...

Could it be that I don't trust anyone acting in good faith (without a profit motive) because I have personally seen and have knowledge of the dark side of life so many times?

As far as I'm concerned these people on the look out for elder abuse might think they are helping a person (or they are part of the guardianship ring and get kickbacks or % of the assets) when in fact if a guardian for profit is appointed as a result of this concern, the elder is at great risk to be immediately yanked from the comfort and security of their home, their residence always forced into a nursing home facility against their will when the elder could be cared for in their own residence.

The guardian seizes all of their assets, leaving the ward with no home, no possessions, no funds and no recourse.

The elder is ..... TRAPPED, a prisoner.

The elder will be putting up a fight leading to upset and distress, so the nursing home physician will prescribe sedatives, psychotropic drugs, the works which puts the elder in a zombie state making the elder look incompetent.

Heck, if I were on medications and then all of these mood and mind altering drugs, sleep meds etc, forced into a nursing facility, I would be appear to be in a state of rage and in need of professional supervision.

The guardian always sells their wards homes, leaving the ward "homeless" needing a place to live.

A nursing facility is the first choice where the ward will be drugged up forcing them into isolation in a strange place, at risk to be tormented and even beaten to death.

SEE: AP news article: "'Tragic results' What can Happen When the Mentally ILL live in Nursing Homes"

Anonymous said...

Very good points, Wiser. The hidden agenda could certainly be behind this as it's behind things that we don't suspect all the time.

Anonymous said...

I don't think online courses are a good thing here. People have to deal with live people in the real world.

Teaching with live human beings who interact and sometimes do unpredictable things is the best.

Anonymous said...

The article starts out with "lawmakers were told..." -- well, who told them?

Yes, one has to wonder what else might be behind this.

Anonymous said...

People are thinking differently than we did years ago with so many people in powerful places who were sneaky, some committed crimes and stole other's money or didn't pay IRS taxes how sad to find out many people we thought were above all that to find out they cannot be trusted.

Who do you trust?

Anonymous said...

They are working at it. I was asked about a bruise during an ER visit.
I explained that I move too fast and bruise easily.

But what if they didn't make the reports? Incapacitated people can injure themselves.

What needs to be done is to rein in the bad guys in guardianship: make them work under bond, enforce timely reporting; punish them and the judges who do not oversee them properly.