Question

You are seeing Rachael, a 40-year-old patient, for the first time today in her home. She is recovering from several orthopaedic and head injuries sustained in a car crash 1 month ago; her husband was the driver of the vehicle. He was not seriously injured and has been the primary caretaker of their two middle-school-aged children. It is 1300 and he smells strongly of alcohol. Your second visit finds him in the same condition. With the next visit, you schedule the time later in the day when the children are home from school. If you suspect alcohol abuse by their father, what assessment parameters will you use for the children to help identify their risks?

Answer 1

Alcohol abuse is a self harm as well as the people around the are at high risk of getting physically and verbally abused.

The assessment parameters to identify the children's at risk are

• The children's having any bruises, injuries on the body,difficulty in walking,swelling,pain or tenderness in body is a sign of physical abuse due to alcohol
• The children's fear on seeing their father
• Staying in isolation, hesitating or fearful when talking with others
• General conditions of the child like height for weight in accordance to their age can determine whether the children were deprived of food
• Children having difficulty in getting socialized
• Communication with the children's us a direct method of assessment to find out any alcohol abuse by their father