Published by the National Center on Elder Abuse,
2002

Reviewed by Loree Cook-Daniels

This 16-page technical assistance manual, developed by Lisa Nerenberg, M.S.W., M.P.H., under contract with the National Center on Elder Abuse partner Institute on Aging, briefly outlines what should be considered when developing elder abuse prevention training programs for in-home workers. These considerations include:

• Researching state reporting laws and local practices;

• Developing employer policies and procedures for handling abuse reports by in-home workers;

• Developing codes of ethics;

• Assessing trainees’ communication needs, such as translators and more simply-written documents;

• Teaching workers how to respond to abuse directed at them; and

• Addressing culture-specific abuse definitions and expectations.

The manual recommends a basic training outline that includes an introduction to elder abuse and neglect; a section on managing difficult behaviors, and a section on professional practices (to “clarify expectations and help protect agencies and workers from spurious allegations”). Included in the manual are definitions of types of abuse (including “violation of rights”), indicators of various types of abuse, and tips for reducing disturbing behavior by clients.

The manual is available for downloading from www.elderabusecenter.org/family/training.pdf.