Authors: (including presenting author): :
Yau TL(1)
Affiliation: :
(1) Acc8ident and Emergency Department , Yan Chai Hospital
Keyword 2: :
Emergency Department
Keyword 3: :
Screening Tool
Introduction: :
Elder abuse is a worldwide problem with serious consequences for individual and society. Similar to many other countries, Hong Kong is unprecedently rapidly ageing. It is projected that proportion of population aged 65 years and older will increase significantly from 13% in 2011 to 30% in 2041.
Among the wide range of clinical encounters, Emergency Departments visits provide an ideal opportunity to detect elder abuse and to initiate appropriate interventions. Compared to other older adult, elder mistreatment victims are more likely to attend Emergency Department, often for acute illness or injuries, and less likely to visit a primary health care provider.
The nursing staff in Emergency Department would be uniquely positioned to recognize elder abuse. Given the time constrains that most emergency nurses encounter, a brief, effective screening tool for identification of elder abuse is essential. In Hong Kong, A&E Clinical Guideline No. 18, Management of Suspected Elder Abuse had been reviewed by C o-ordinating Committee, Accident and Emergency Department on April, 2024. Four screening tools for elder abuse were introduced. However, these screening tool for elder abuse have been developed for use in clinical settings but were not extensively validated. Without reliable, validated and feasible screening tool, elder abuse is likely to remain undetected, leaving victims vulnerable to harmful consequences.
Objectives: :
To evaluate the various screening tools available for Emergency Department Nurses for assessing, detecting and identifying situation of elder abuse
Methodology: :
An initial search of the CINAHL, MEDLINE, PubMed and Cochrane Library from 2020 to 2025 was conducted. The keywords that were using to search including Elder Abuse, Emergency Department and Screening Tools.
The inclusion criteria were including the screening tools that were administrated by nurses specific to the detection and identification of elder abuse in Emergency Department. Articles must be published in English and in full text from 2020 to 2025.
The exclusion criteria were consisted of the screening tools intended for other health care discipline such as physicians, social worker, paramedic or intended for use in clinical setting or facilities outside of the Emergency Department (e.g., long-term assist living, residential aged home, home care visits and outpatient clinic). 8 articles were retrieved from the databases for review. 4 articles were Systematic Review. 2 articles were Prospective Single-Center Observation Cohort Study. 1 article was Prospective Cohort Multi-Center Study while 1 article was a Qualitive and Convenience Sampling Semi-Structured In-Person-Interview.
Result & Outcome: :
Total 11 screening tools were identified from the articles for the screening tools of elder abuse in clinical settings.
6 articles showed positive impact with Emergency Department Senior Abuse Identification Tool (ED Senior AID Tool).
The ED Senior AID Tool was developed for Emergency Department setting and determined for Emergency Nurses to use. The ED Senior AID Tool is currently identified as a shorter form and is able to identify potential case of elder abuse. It also showed good usability of the tool and 73% of assessment completed. The ED Senior AID tool had a sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 84% of elder abuse. The interrater reliability was calculated with moderated interrater reliability- even the panels are located in different regions and composed of members with different training and experience.
Based on the review of the articles, it is recommended of using the ED Senior AID tool for screening of elder abuse in Emergency Departments.
