Is A Vulnerable Adult?

Abuse can happen anywhere anytime, but especially to vulnerable people, ie Children, elderly people, people with disabilities, people with learning difficulties. It can even happen in places people should be safe, ie hospitals, residential/ nursing homes, schools, daycare/ nurseries, centres etc.

There are certain groups of individuals that appear to be most at risk of abuse than others, and therefore more vulnerable. Vulnerable adults can be abused in different ways for different reasons.

It is where the fracture of the skull occurs due to sudden blow or sharp objects. This requires immediate medical treatment to avoid the life threatening. (Van Meter & Hubert, 2014.)

All employees have a duty of care to report any concerns of abuse they have. These might include evidence or suspicions of bad practice by colleagues and managers (whistleblowing), or abuse by another service user, staff or their family and friends.

In this report I will be outlining key legislation and regulation which govern safeguarding adults work, outlining strategies and types of abuse procedure used in health and social care to reduce the risk of abuse. Also I will be describing legislation and regulations, working strategies and procedures used in health and social care to reduce the risk of two types of abuse.

Physical abuse of the elderly occurs when a carer harms the individual or places them in danger. A carer may be a family member or someone who is responsible for taking caring of them. The carer may hit, slap, kick, push, burn, or force feed the elderly person and these are all considered to be signs of physical abuse. They may also give the wrong amount or even the wrong medicine to the elderly person. Physical abuse also includes sexual abuse; when someone has sexual contact with an individual without their consent.

Abuse can occur from a lack of training or feeling they are superior so they feel they can abuse them because they are vulnerable.

Physical: Physical abuse is deliberate physical force that may result in bodily injury, pain, or impairment. Both old and young people can be physically abused.

Under the Care Act 2014, three specific criteria must be met for adult safeguarding duties to apply; the adult must have care and support needs and be experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect and is unable to protect themselves because of their care and support needs.

Abuse can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time. However, it is so alarming that more and more elderly people suffer from abuse everyday. Many elderly adults are being abused in their homes and even in care facilities such as nursing homes responsible for their care. How can elderly groups be vulnerable to abuse and/or harm to self and others? And

(The broad definition of a ‘vulnerable adult’ is; a vulnerable adult is a person over the age of eighteen who is, or maybe, in need of community care services by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness. And who is or may be unable to take care of him or herself, or unable to protect him or herself against significant harm or

Abuse can happen to anyone, but elderly adults residing in nursing homes are more vulnerable and have a higher risk for abuse (Rasansky Law Firm, 2006, para. 1). Elders are among the fastest growing in the population, and because of this many more elderly

Some adults are less able to protect themselves than others and some have difficulty making their wishes and feelings known. This may make them vulnerable to abuse. They may also be vulnerable because they are in need of community care services due to

Bruising: It is a condition where tissues and small blood vesels below the skin are injured, causing leakage of blood under the skin. Based on severity it can be further divided in contusions, hematoma and purpura.

Elderly abuse can occur if the caregivers who are under stress, have emotional and financial problems (Berger, 2014). Also, if the care receiver is frail and demanding, they are more likely to experience abuse (Berger, 2014). If these caregivers are in low SES groups, they are more vulnerable to experience