Q&A: Social work interventions in elder abuse

Q. What resources are available for social workers who spot elder abuse in their patients?

A. Social workers can refer to several healthcare and social services when working with victims of elder abuse and/or neglect, including the following:

• Private nonprofit elder service agencies (e.g., local area aging access point). There is a nationwide system of state-specific elder service agencies that play an important role in working with the elderly population. Agencies may provide the following:
• Councils on aging and senior centers. City and town governments may have local area councils on aging and senior centers. Councils on aging and senior centers may provide elder opportunities, including recreational and fitness activities, care planning assistance, and health and human service resource services and referrals. Services are community-specific.
• Senior health insurance program (SHIP) and options counseling. State SHIP programs offer Medicare consumers access to one-on-one, free, objective counseling about the Medicare plans available to them. Options counseling services are available at no cost to adults with disabilities and people aged 60 and over who are in need of supportive services such as personal care, household chores, transportation, and nutrition and medication management.
• Online resource listings. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and 800 Age Info both maintain online resource listings/databases to support identification of local elder services, facilities, and programs.

For more information, see Social Work: Strength-Based Practice in Hospital Case Management.

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