Be cautious when interviewing a person of concern or the person who is suspected of being abusive towards the adult.
Assess your own safety first.
Consider having another professional with you as a witness and to ensure safety.
Be aware that the assessment may alarm the abuser and expose the adult to greater risk, e.g. abuser may abscond with the adult or escalate the abuse.
Avoid confrontation.
Use an empathetic and non-judgmental approach.
Identify specific factors that can cause stress to a caregiver, and add comments and questions (e.g. “Care for your aunt now that she is incontinent can be a burden. How are you managing?”).
In some circumstances, you may need to consider having police attend with you to “keep the peace”. Be sure to consider the benefits and also potential risks of having police attend with you.
