Out of the Shadows
Uncovering Substance Use and Elder Abuse

Supplements

Hwalek-Senstock Elder Abuse Screening Test (HSEAST)

Violation of Personal Rights or Direct Abuse

  1. Does someone else make decisions about your life -- like how you should live or where you should live?
  2. Does someone in your family make you stay in bed or tell you you're sick when you know you're not?
  3. Has anyone forced you to do things you didn't want to do?
  4. Has anyone taken things that belong to you without your OK?
  5. Has anyone close to you tried to hurt or harm you recently?

Characteristics of Vulnerability

  1. Do you have anyone who spends time with you, taking you shopping or to the doctor?
  2. Are you sad or lonely often?
  3. Can you take your own medication and get around by yourself?

Potentially Abusive Situations

  1. Are you helping to support someone?
  2. Do you feel uncomfortable with anyone in your family?
  3. Do you feel that nobody wants you around?
  4. Does anyone in your family drink a lot?
  5. Do you trust most of the people in your family?
  6. Does anyone tell you that you give them too much trouble?
  7. Do you have enough privacy at home?

A response of "no" to items 6, 8, 13, and 15 and a response of "yes" to all others score in the abused direction.

Source: Nelson H.D., Nygren P., McInerney Y., Klein J. Screening Women and Elderly Adults for Family and Intimate Partner Violence: A Review of the Evidence for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. March 2004. Originally in Ann Intern Med 2004; 140(5)387-96. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD.

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