Australian GP’s are being urged to be on the lookout for signs of elder abuse and report any suspicions of abuse to police or guardianship authorities under new clinical guidelines being rolled out by the Australian College of General Practitioners.
The college, which represents thousands of general practitioners Australia wide, has released its first aged care clinical recommendations for doctors, which provides guidance on dealing with elder abuse, which is experienced by about one in six Australians over the age of 60 and is expected to soar with our ageing population.
According to College president Dr Harry Nespolon (pictured) elder abuse is much more common than most people realise and “it’s something that GPs would come across at least once a month if not more frequently” he said.
Signs of elder abuse may include unexplained injuries such as bruises, cuts and broken bones, malnourishment or weight loss, poor hygiene, depression or confusion unrelated to underlying illness, unexplained transactions or loss of money and withdrawal from family members and friends.
If there is suspicion that an elderly patient is being abused, GPs are being encouraged to investigate the matter further, and then help the patient create a safety plan.
If sexual or physical abuse is suspected doctors are being urged to call the police whilst in the case of suspected financial abuse the GP can contact the guardianship board.
For those living in residential aged care aged care homes, GPs are being told to report their concerns and potentially lobby to have the resident moved from the facility.
