“They can be dependent on people who both care for them and cause them harm.
“Some people fear being put in an aged-care facility if they disclose that a carer isn’t doing a good job, and there’s shame and stigma about what’s happening to them,” she said.
The tool, a six-page form, would include 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.
Types of abuse covered in the tool include psychological, financial, physical, sexual, cultural and spiritual.
A $95,000 grant from the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) funded the tool’s development.
Financial struggles, attitude and relationship problems, aggression, a history of drug and alcohol abuse or violence, and a history of experiencing abuse themselves have all been identified as risk factors for a potential abuser.
“Practitioners can rank the risk the person is experiencing within each category and can also write notes describing the situation.
“There’s also a section looking at what the person using harm needs – such as more breaks or getting extra help at home.”
Peri said a tool like this does not exist, which makes it “urgently needed”.
Abuse of older people is happening more frequently, she said.
“We hope the tool will support workers in the field by offering more objective methods of measuring the risk of abuse for older people.”
Experienced staff often have a “gut feeling” that abuse or neglect is happening, but have no way to objectively detect or quantify it.
“It’s likely to be particularly useful for junior social workers.”
The tool has been finished but needs to be verified.
It will be trialled by practitioners to test its effectiveness.
“We are applying for funding for the validation process and for a training kit that will be used with the risk assessment tool.”
Elder abuse organisations in Canada are interested in trialling the tool, Peri said.