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 06 July 2008 00:34 BST

Nurses afraid of reporting elderly abuse

Wednesday, 29 Aug 2007 14:36
Nurses say they are afraid of reporting abuse

Health In Focus 

Over half of nurses would not report abuse of vulnerable elderly people for fear of misinterpreting the situation, a survey has revealed.

A further quarter of nurses admitted that they are too afraid of the abuser confronting them to speak out about what they had witnessed.

Help the Aged's survey also found that nursing staff lack the knowledge about how to deal with suspected abuse.

Over two-thirds (68 per cent) of nurses and professionals caring for older people have not been trained in the correct procedure.

Jean Gould, legal policy officer for Help the Aged, said the findings show that nurses are "clearly lacking" in the support they need to protect elderly patients in their care.

"Training in elder abuse for nurses must be mandatory, together with a legal requirement for protocols to ensure that all professionals respond confidently and take effective action as quickly as possible," she added.

"It is a national disgrace that we sit back while thousands of older people are abused every day. All frontline professionals must be given thorough training as a matter of priority. Without it, potential new cases of abuse will go unnoticed and older people will be left at even greater risk."

Commenting on the findings, Rebecca Neno, the Royal College of Nursing's spokesperson for elder abuse, told Nursing Standard: "Nurses must not be afraid of upsetting or embarrassing the older person - they have a duty to safeguard and protect these patients."
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