Jun 11, 2020
If you looked at the academic literature, you would think that elder abuse and neglect, collectively called elder mistreatment, did not exist before the 1990s. Of course that's not true at all, it was hidden, covered, and not a major subject of research. Several pioneers have placed elder mistreatment firmly on the map, including XinQi Dong, Mark Lachs, and today's GeriPal podcast guest, Dean Laura Mosqueda (@MosquedaMD) of the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California and Director of the National Center of Elder Abuse. Archstone Foundation, who funds our podcast, was a critical early investor in efforts to raise awareness, study, and intervene to prevent elder mistreatment. Today we learn about what a long term care Ombudsman is, about the impact of Covid19 on elder mistreatment, and ethical issues at the core of elder mistreatment (autonomy vs. safety and public health). One major take home point that I'd like to emphasize here are three questions that Dean Mosqueda asks of all of her patients by way of screening: 1. Is anybody hurting you? 2. Are you afraid of anybody? 3. Is anybody using your money without your permission? Finally, June 15th is Elder Abuse Awareness Day, and here's a link to find out more about how you can get involved. And great song choice - Veronica by Elvis Costello - check out this YouTube video of Elvis talking about his grandmother who had Alzheimer's dementia and how talking with her he would "bounce around the years." Enjoy! - Alex Smith