As the population ages, adult foster care programs are increasingly necessary for large segments of the population. Unfortunately, abuse of elderly and disabled adults is increasing with those programs. According to the National Organization for Victim Assistance or NOVA, "available data suggests that adults are victimized at an alarming rate, and often have much more difficulty participating in the criminal justice system and receiving the help they need." Writing an abuse prevention plan is essential to addressing this growing problem.
Instructions
Elements of Your Plan
1. Create strict guidelines for choosing staff. Insist on thorough employment screening and background checks. Emphasize the need to screen for past abusive behavior and problems with substance addiction in your plan. Write a list of detailed questions to ask potential staff members during the hiring process. For example, ask potential employees to state their views on elderly and disabled individuals. Compile representative examples of high-stress patient situations and ask potential employees to explain how they would respond.
2. Devote a section of your plan to creating an environment that discourages abuse. Describe the severe legal consequences of abuse. Create mandatory reporting procedures for incidents involving suspected abuse. Outline the ways staff members and patients should report abuse, with easy-to-follow instructions. Explain how the facility will ensure confidentiality. Include contact information for appropriate advocacy groups and law enforcement agencies for individuals uncomfortable with reporting abuse through the facility's system. Integrate regularly scheduled inspections of patients and the facility into your plan.
3. Dedicate part of your plan to staff support. Even properly screened staff members can become overwhelmed by the stress of dealing with patients. Include ways to address these serious issues in your prevention plan. Give staff members guidance on cope with difficult patients. Develop support groups for staff members that offer anger management and coping strategies. Include information on contact mental health professionals to address stress management problems before they get out of control.
4. Write the elements of your abuse prevention plan for a broad audience. Use concise language that is easy for anyone to understand. Highlight essential information on reporting abuse and coping with anger issues. Make sure the contact information to seek help is clear and easy to find. Give readers a bullet-point list of signs and symptoms of abuse to watch for, and place the list prominently in your plan. Since many residents in an adult care facility will be elderly, use large font to ensure that your plan is accessible to those with impaired vision.
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