Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Vulnerable Adult?


Who is defined as a vulnerable adult?An adult who:

*is 60 years or older who cannot take care of him or herself and/or

* has a developmental disability and/or* has a legal guardian and/or

* lives in a facility (adult family home, boarding home, nursing home, or soldier's home) and/or

* receives services from a licensed health, hospice or home care agency and/or

* receives personal care or health services from an individual who is paid for providing the service.

What is abuse?Abuse is an action (that is not an accident) that injures, intimidates, punishes or unreasonably confines a vulnerable adult. Abuse can be physical, mental, sexual, or coercive. Types of abuse include abandonment, neglect, self-neglect, and financial exploitation. Some professions are automatically mandated reporters such as nurses, teachers, psychologists, and employees of any adult family home, boarding home or nursing home. I'm sure there are others that I have missed.

No comments: