What it means
Hitting, kicking, shaking, burning, choking, biting and inappropriate restraint are examples. It may happen to children, partners or older and dependent adults. Clues include injuries that do not match the story given, injuries at different stages of healing, bruises or burns shaped like an object, and a delay in seeking care.
For the nurse
Interview the client alone, record what they say in their own words and describe injuries objectively (size, color, location, a body map or photos per policy). Nurses are mandated reporters of suspected child abuse, and of elder or dependent adult abuse in most states: follow the facility's reporting process and plan for the client's safety.
Related terms
bruise
A discolored area of skin where blood has leaked from small broken vessels into the tissue underneath.
elder abuse
Harm or neglect of an older adult by someone they should be able to trust, such as a family member or caregiver.
neglect
Failure to give a child or dependent adult the food, shelter, care, safety or medical help they need.
ecchymosis
A bruise: a flat purple or blue patch where blood has leaked from small vessels into the skin.
intimate partner violence
Physical, sexual or emotional harm, stalking or control by a current or former partner or spouse.