Question

Your patient is an 87-year-old female brought in by her daughter with a severe laceration on her left foot. The patient is shaking uncontrollably and seems to be afraid of her daughter. The daughter explains that her mother has dementia, which causes her to become paranoid. She says the laceration occurred when her mother was trying to help prepare dinner and dropped a sharp kitchen knife. The patient appears to understand when you explain what you are about to do, and she helps you roll up the sleeve of her shirt so that you can check her blood pressure. As she rolls up her sleeve, you notice bruises in various stages of healing. How will you handle this situation?

Answer 1

I assume this case to be a case of elderly abuse which is increasing day by day making it one of the major problems being faced by the elderly people in today's world. First of all I will make sure to separate the patient from her daughter in order to identify the real problem. After this is done I will try to counsel the patient and assure her that she can trust me and can tell me about the problems being faced by her . I will ask her to be precise and to tell me everything about her situation and condition in the house environment of the patient. I will write the detailed examination done and found on the patient's body. I will make sure to make the patient confident enough to speak for herself. I will try to make assure that the patient knows about her right. I will also become a sole witness for the patient.