Reporting elder abuse: a medical, legal, and ethical overview

Elder abuse is a growing public health problem in the United States, with research suggesting that women may be at higher risk of abuse than men are. Laws on elder abuse have emerged over the recent decades, with nearly all states requiring mandatory reporting of suspected elder abuse cases. Physicians play key roles in helping their elder patients; they are often the only accessible individuals outside a frail elderly patient's family circle and are therefore in an ideal position to detect, manage, and prevent elder abuse. Unfortunately, they are not living up to their potential for reporting elder abuse. Physicians must confront and overcome barriers to detecting and reporting in order to provide appropriate care to elderly patients. This article defines elder abuse, outlines barriers to detecting and reporting elder abuse, provides an overview of the existing elder abuse laws, discusses the dilemmas surrounding mandatory reporting, and offers suggestions on how to manage cases of suspected abuse.