Elder abuse in context of poverty and deprivation and emergency department care

Background: Elder abuse is difficult to detect; victims often remain silent. It is a cause of induced poverty and deprivation of care, loss of civil liberties and maltreatment which can result in emergency department presentations and premature transfer to permanent care. Aims: This discussion aims to: define the phenomenon and prevalence of elder abuse, discuss the sociopolitical context of elder abuse and the impact it can have on emergency care. Discussions will encompass the implications for emergency nurses including patient safety and key points for consideration and care. Methods: An integrated literature review examining over 70 national and international peer review journals, government reports, policy papers, and international journal articles over the last 12 years, examining elder abuse was conducted. Results: The main themes emerging from the literature including definitions, health implications, risk factors, incidence and identification of elder abuse, will be explored and the relationship of these themes to emergency department care and identification of cases of elder abuse. Conclusion: While nurses in emergency departments are well placed to identify cases of suspected elder abuse, a crucial factor influencing patient outcomes is the quality of the community care/emergency department interface. (C) 2007 College of Emergency Nursing Australasia Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.