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To Report or Not to Report: Emergency Services Response to Elder Abuse

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Jeffrey S. Jones ,
George Walker  and
Jon R. Krohmer
Jeffrey S. Jones*
Affiliation:
Emergency Medicine Residency Program, Butterworth Hospital; MichiganState University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids, Michigan
George Walker
Affiliation:
Emergency Medicine Residency Program, Butterworth Hospital; MichiganState University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Jon R. Krohmer
Affiliation:
Emergency Medicine Residency Program, Butterworth Hospital; MichiganState University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids, Michigan
*
Department of Emergency Medicine, 100 Michigan N.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49503USA
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Abstract

Purpose:

Prehospital emergency medical services (EMS) personnel, as initial responders to calls for assistance, are in an ideal position to identify abused or neglected elderly. A survey of prehospital personnel in Michigan was conducted to determine the scope of this problem, levels of awareness, and willingness to report cases of elder abuse.

Methods:

The study population was a random sample of 500 prehospital personnel throughout one state. A blinded, self-administered survey was completed by emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics outlining their practice characteristics, prevalence of abuse in their community, and training available specific to elder abuse. Attitudes concerning the understanding and reporting of geriatric abuse were measured using a Likert-type scale.

Results:

A total of 156 surveys (31%) was completed; 68% of the respondents were paramedics. Respondents had an average of 8.7 years (range: 9 months-30 years) of prehospital emergency-care experience, and evaluated an average of 11 patients (range: 1–59) older than 65 years of age each week. Seventy-eight percent had seen a suspected case of elder abuse or negligence during their careers; 68% had seen a case during the past 12 months (mean: 2.3 cases/yr; range: 0–24 cases/yr). However, surveyed personnel reported only 27% of suspected cases to authorities last year (mean: 0.62 cases/yr). Reasons for not reporting included 1) unsure which authorities take reports; 2) unclear definitions; 3) unaware of mandatory reporting laws; and 4) lack of anonymity. Ninety-five percent of respondents stated that training related to elder abuse was not available through their EMS agency.

Conclusion:

Paramedics and EMTs lack complete understanding of their role in the identification and reporting of elder abuse. This information should be emphasized during EMS training and reinforced through continuing education.

Keywords

education trainingelder abuseidentificationneglectprehospitalreportingsurveytraining
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 10 , Issue 2 , June 1995 , pp. 96 - 100
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 1995

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Footnotes

*

Presented at the NAEMSP 7th Annual Scientific Assembly in Orlando, Florida, June 1991

References

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