New tool to help gauge risk of elder abuse

Link to Inside Government: https://insidegovernment.co.nz/new-tool-to-help-gauge-risk-of-elder-abuse/

A tool designed to help assess the risk of abuse of older people has been developed by the University of Auckland’s Dr Kathy Peri.

A senior lecturer in nursing, Dr Peri led a team that created the tool with a $95,000 grant from the Ministry of Social Development (MSD).

“This tool is for all health providers to use with older people who have been identified as possibly showing signs of being abused,” says Dr Peri…

The assessment includes risk severity ratings and a traffic light system to guide further actions… a section to assess the risk posed by a person suspected of causing harm, as well as a section focused on the older person who may be suffering abuse or neglect…

“The risk factors we’ve identified for a person using harm are current financial struggles, attitude and relationship problems, aggression, history of drug and alcohol abuse or violence, or a past history of experiencing abuse themselves,” she says.

Calls for a tool to help detect abuse have been made by MSD’s Elder Abuse response services and Te Whatu Ora – Ministry of Health’s services for older people.

“I hope the tool will be used in a timely manner and with empathy, so the older person feels empowered.”

“The tool could also be used to collect data, so we can see what’s happening with people who are being neglected or abused across the whole motu.”