Responding to the Abused

Deal with safety issues first…
If there is immediate danger, call the police 911 otherwise alert the victim to available community resources:

• Believe them. Recognizing and responding to abused persons may mean doing some investigation rather than assuming it couldn't be that bad, especially if the person who may be offending is involved in community or church. Sometimes we find it hard to believe that someone we think we know and respect could actually harm their own parent.
  
  
• Reassure them that it is not their fault.
  
  
• The elderly abused person should remain the decision-maker whenever possible. S/he will often be more concerned about the welfare of the person who is doing the abusing than about her/his own safety.