***Each response needs to be ½ page or more*** RESPONSE 1 Respond to two colleagues and explain how their assessments support the NASW Code of Ethics (2008). Include two values and/or guiding principles to support your explanation. Colleague 1: Gradnette Magda is an 81-year-old widow, she lives 30 minutes away from her son, John and her daughter-in-law, Helen. Six months ago, Magda appeared to be self-sufficient which means she was able to take care of her daily needs without the support of others. Recently, she experienced an incident where she fell and broke her hip. During her incident a tragic discovery was found that she had early signs of dementia. Since the incident Magda has been unable to care and provide for herself. She has had several caretakers; a church member of her son and daughter-in-law, Helen, and her grandson, Alec. Her daughter-in- law, Helen is the lead caretaker which means she takes on majority of the responsibility for caring after Magda. Outside of Helen, her son Alec insisted on helping her take on the responsibility for caring after Magda. Instead of properly caring for Magda, he causes her health to worsen as he misused her medication, robs her during several occasions, and leaves her unattended for a long period of time. After the incident; Helen had to go in to help Magda recuperate from the damage caused by Alec careless motives. As of now Magda only income is the support she receives from John and Helen. There have not been any signs of injuries to report from Alec living with Magda. It appears as Magda is aware of her surroundings and as of now Helen is her only care taker. The original assessment involving Helen and Magda.            The original assessment will consist of implementing a two month; twice a week family counseling session involving Helen and Magda. During the first session; I will have each participant state their feelings towards one another. Afterwards, I will have Helen state her thoughts towards caring for Magda. Once she gets done, I will have Magda discuss her feelings and thoughts towards Helen being her care provider. After hearing and documenting all discussion; I will next put in place a treatment plan whereas Helen responsibility for caring for Magda can be convenience. During the treatment plan; I will educate Helen on the responsibilities of caring for elderly. I will also recommend her to take some educational courses which will further educate her on caring for Magda along with the funding available. Next, I will educate Magda on the guidelines, responsibilities, and anxieties of a caregiver. I will also educate Magda on several agencies which provides support with medication and proper care. Afterwards, I will ask for Magda’s consent to conduct further research to see if she is eligible to receive senior assistance; if so, I will refer her to a home care agency. Overall, her compliance to this treatment plan will help take the burden and stress off Helen and the fam ...

1. ***Each response needs to be ½ page or more***
RESPONSE 1
Respond
to two colleagues and explain how their assessments support
the NASW Code of Ethics (2008). Include two values and/or
guiding principles to support your explanation.
Colleague 1: Gradnette
Magda is an 81-year-old widow, she lives 30 minutes away from
her son, John and her daughter-in-law, Helen. Six months ago,
Magda appeared to be self-sufficient which means she was able
to take care of her daily needs without the support of others.
Recently, she experienced an incident where she fell and broke
her hip. During her incident a tragic discovery was found that
she had early signs of dementia. Since the incident Magda has
been unable to care and provide for herself. She has had several
caretakers; a church member of her son and daughter-in-law,
Helen, and her grandson, Alec. Her daughter-in- law, Helen is
the lead caretaker which means she takes on majority of the
responsibility for caring after Magda. Outside of Helen, her son
Alec insisted on helping her take on the responsibility for
caring after Magda. Instead of properly caring for Magda, he
causes her health to worsen as he misused her medication, robs
her during several occasions, and leaves her unattended for a
long period of time. After the incident; Helen had to go in to

2. help Magda recuperate from the damage caused by Alec careless
motives. As of now Magda only income is the support she
receives from John and Helen. There have not been any signs of
injuries to report from Alec living with Magda. It appears as
Magda is aware of her surroundings and as of now Helen is her
only care taker.
The original assessment involving Helen and Magda.
The original assessment will consist of implementing a
two month; twice a week family counseling session involving
Helen and Magda. During the first session; I will have each
participant state their feelings towards one another. Afterwards,
I will have Helen state her thoughts towards caring for Magda.
Once she gets done, I will have Magda discuss her feelings and
thoughts towards Helen being her care provider. After hearing
and documenting all discussion; I will next put in place a
treatment plan whereas Helen responsibility for caring for
Magda can be convenience. During the treatment plan; I will
educate Helen on the responsibilities of caring for elderly. I
will also recommend her to take some educational courses
which will further educate her on caring for Magda along with
the funding available. Next, I will educate Magda on the
guidelines, responsibilities, and anxieties of a caregiver. I will
also educate Magda on several agencies which provides support
with medication and proper care. Afterwards, I will ask for
Magda’s consent to conduct further research to see if she is
eligible to receive senior assistance; if so, I will refer her to a
home care agency. Overall, her compliance to this treatment
plan will help take the burden and stress off Helen and the
family.
Questions I will Ask Magda:
1. How would you consider your overall physical well-being
and health?

3. 2. How much social support you receive from your family? Do
your family fulfills your needs when you need someone to talk
to or transportation?
3. How often do you receive support from outsiders and family
members when they visit you in your home?
4. How are you able to perform everyday activities? Do you
need any support to fulfill your everyday activities?
5. Are you able to move around within your home and
community without supervision?
6. Can you complete your own house chores, prepare your own
meals, and complete your own laundry?
7. Are you able to take care of your own appearance without the
support of others?
8. How often do you take your medication? How many different
kinds of medication do you take? What are the names of your
prescribed medication?
Reference
Christ, G., & Diwan, S (2008). Chronic Illness and aging: The
role of social work in managing chronic illness care. Council on
social work education. Retrieved from:
www.cswe.org/getattachment/Centers-Initiative/CSWE-Gero-
Ed-Center/Teaching-Tools/Gero-Competencies/Practice-
Guides/Assignments-Measurements/CI-Sec-Role-SW.pdf.aspx
Plummer, S.B. Makris, S., & Brocksen, S.M.(Eds), (2014a).
Sessions: case histories, Baltimore, MD: Laureate International
Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader] The Petrakis

4. Family(pp.20-22)
Colleague 2: Chelsie
An assessment was completed on 81 year old Magda Petrakis
after concern was expressed by Helen Petrakis (Magda's
daughter in-law) regarding Magda's health and well-being.To
conduct the assessment, 7 different domains by Grace Christ &
Sadhna Diwan (2008) were analyzed regarding Magda's life
including; 1)Physical well-being and health 2) Psychological
well-being and health, 3)Cognitive capacity 4)Ability to
perform various activities of daily living 5)Social functioning
6)Physical environment and 7)Assessment of family caregivers.
When assessing Magda from the first domain, Magda overall is
a fairly healthy woman for her age. However, Magda is at an
increased risk for falling due to the lost of stability that occurs
with increased age. Because of this, Magda recently
encountered an event in which she fell and broke her hip,
causing her health to begin deteriorating. While assessing
Magda from the second domain of psychological health, it was
apparent that her physical health and mental health co-existed.
According to Paveza (2013), assessing the mental health of an
elder individual is often the most important step during the
assessment process because the social worker needs to be
cautious that the information they are receiving is accurate. In
Magda's case, as a result of her fall, Magda begins experiencing
early onset of dementia which has caused her to lose most self-
sufficiency. During the assessment process, it was apparent that
Magda's cognitive capacity and ability to perform basic ADL's
was severely impacted by her dementia. Magda is now unable to
comprehend how to pay her bills, cook her own meals, or even
keep her medications in track. Magda does not have much social
interaction due to being confined to her home most of the day
but does speak with her caregivers daily which include her
daughter-in-law, grandson, and a woman from church. It is

5. apparent from the assessment that caring for Magda is taking a
toll on her caregivers as Magda's daughter-in-law has expressed
a large amount of stress. Magda's grandson has also been
stealing money and medications from Magda.
To include Magda in the assessment, I would ask Helen to bring
Magda to a session with her. Because Magda is only
experiencing early signs of dementia, she is most likely still
able to answer questions regarding her health and well-being. If
Magda was unable to present to the meeting, I would ask Magda
if I could make a home visit where I would be better able to
assess the situation. I would work closely with Magda to
develop a safety plan to follow for when caregivers were not
present and would work with Magda to look into assisted living
facilities.
During the assessment, to gain further insight into Magda's
current situation, there certain questions that would be
important to ask. I would ask Magda questions such as "what
care do you feel you need? Are you satisfied with the care you
currently receive? What activities are you able to do without
assistance? Have you thought about the idea of an assisted care
facility? What activities do you engage in to keep your brain
thinking?" I would also ask questions to Magda's doctors such
as "What is the severity of Magda's dementia? Are there
activities that can slow the progress of Magda's dementia?
Christ, G., & Diwan, S (2008). Chronic Illness and aging: The
role of social work in managing chronic illness care. Council on
social work education. Retrieved from:
www.cswe.org/getattachment/Centers-Initiative/CSWE-Gero-
Ed-Center/Teaching-Tools/Gero-Competencies/Practice-
Guides/Assignments-Measurements/CI-Sec-Role-SW.pdf.aspx
Paveza, G.J. (2013), Assesment of the elderly. In M.J. Holosko,
C.N. Dulmus, & K.M. Sowers (Eds), Social Work Practice with

6. Individuals and Families: Evidence-informed assessments and
interventions. (pp177-195). Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley.
Plummer, S.B. Makris, S., & Brocksen, S.M.(Eds), (2014a).
Sessions: case histories, Baltimore, MD: Laureate International
Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader] The Petrakis
Family(pp.20-22)
RESPONSE 2
Respond to at least two colleagues by suggesting alternative
strategies on a micro, mezzo or macro level.
Colleague 1:
Christine
The quality of life for older individuals who are experiencing
elder abuse largely decreases the quality of life in many areas.
Typically, this can been seen in multiple ways as functional and
financial status decline, limited self-reported health is evident,
and possibly feelings of hopelessness and loneliness increase in
regard to psychological distress. Research also suggests that
older individuals that are abused tend to die earlier than those
that have not been abused. With limit reports from individuals
that are experiencing elder abuse it is difficult to weigh in how
one is experiencing abuse. With consideration to this, there is
no single pattern of abuse proving that there is a cycle of long-
standing patterns to violent/physical abuse, and
emotional/financial abuse within families and nursing homes.

7. While performing assessments with someone that is suspected
of elder abuse there are several attempts to secure accuracy in
reported or non-reported cases. There are many signs/and or
symptoms to be aware of as a service provider, for which these
should prompt further investigation to determine and remedy the
cause. Service providers working with someone experiencing
elder abuse can approach assessment with the following cues:
1) Perform assessments while inquiry about risk factors. 2)
Using effective tools to do this such as the Elder Abuse
Suspicion Index. Which was developed to raise awareness to a
level to which it may assist in further investigation. 3) Screen
for cognitive impairment. 4) Understanding medical concerns
and medications that individual is currently taking to know the
difference and comparison of similar traits. 5) While performing
assessments and screening; know that these should be separate
from the caregiver (possible suspected abuser) and the person
that is being abused. 6) Identifying your client for specific
patterns of injury.
Other factors to consider while performing assessments will
weigh in the symptoms of: physical abuse such as; bruises,
repeated unexplained injuries, dismissive behavior about
injuries, and refusal to seek medical attention. Verbal and
emotional symptoms can play a large role here while assessing
the lack of social connections, the observation of isolation, and
the lack of communication with outside resources. Sexual abuse
can also go undetected as someone will experience bruising or
an increase in diseases. The list of these symptoms can also
weigh in on care that is received in nursing homes. Financial
exploitation is also something to look at while inquiring about
bank accounts and financial assets.

8. Interventions toward elder abuse can happen on all levels to
address. prevent, or stop abuse within the elderly. As the rights
of of individuals must be guaranteed everywhere ending and
creating possible solutions among the general public as well as
authorities are needed. This can be approached with care toward
programming while creating training opportunities for added
caregivers within institutions. Setting up community
programming that will open up social interactions and increase
the level of participation. Building social networks for the
elderly within housing units, and creating more programming
toward self help options. On another level, supporting the
abuser can go a long way while connecting one to mental health
resources, providing more jobs and education, and creating new
ways caregivers can resolve conflict. On a larger perspective
(macro) institutions can provide policies and programming that
can address work related stress, develop comprehensive work
plans to hold employee accountable, while also improving the
social and physical environment of the institution.
Robert M. Hoover MD, University of Tennessee Health and
Science Center College of Medicine,
Detecting Elder Abuse and Neglect: Assessment and
Intervention,
American Family Physician, (2014, March 15) (pp. 453-460)
Colleague 2:
Chelsie
Unfortunately, elder abuse is a phenomena that will continue to
increase as the elder population gets larger. According to an
article by Minhong Lee (2008), the causes of elder abuse are in
close relation to the stress experienced by caregivers. Other

9. factors also include "socioeconomic status, cognitive problem's,
and difficulty with ADL's (activities of daily living)" (p. 708).
Elder abuse is also most likely to occur when the caregiver see's
the task as a burden.From the study conducted by Lee (2008),
he also found that physical and cognitive abilities impacted the
rate at which abuse occurred. For example, an elder individual
that suffers from severe physical impairments is less likely to
be abused compared to an individual that experiences cognitive
impairments.
The article by Lee (2008) reinforces the importance of assessing
potential abuse and neglect among the elderly because it
discusses the need for more psychosocial support services for
elders. According to the study by Lee (2008), elder abuse
decreased significantly when the caregiver had other social
support such as groups and classes on family care giving. It is
suggested by Lee (2008) for caregivers to attend support groups
to "share their care management skills and effective coping
mechanisms to reduce elder abuse" (p.711). The article
addresses elder abuse from a different perspective by not
focusing on the elders themselves, by the mental health of the
caregivers. If the cognitive health of caregivers is addressed and
stress can be reduced, their will most likely be a reduction in
elder abuse.
When working directly with an elderly individual, I would want
to assess their physical and mental capacity to gain an
understanding of what level of care they need. For example, is
the client able to still participate in most ADL's? Is the client
mental cognizant or does the client suffer from dementia? Is the
client able-bodied or do they need assistance to move around?
The physical and cognitive abilities of the client is important,
as described in the article by Lee (2008) because elders are
most likely to be abused when they suffer from cognitive
disability. From the assessment I would then determine if the
client would be best served in their home setting or at an

10. assisted living facility and the hours of assistance needed on a
weekly basis. If a client needed assistance for multiple hours a
week, I would want to assure the caregiver was someone that
was compassionate, had good coping skills, and a good support
system.
From a mezzo perspective I would work to prevent elder abuse
by assuring that care coordination was occurring. Care
coordination, as described by Christ & Diwan (2008), is the
"deliberate organization of patient care activities between two
or more participants (including the patient)" (p. 10). Care
coordination is important in prevention of elder abuse because it
takes the stress off of one individual and distributes the work
load evenly. According to Paveza (2013) it is also important to
assess the rate of satisfaction caregivers experience. A caregiver
that is highly satisfied working with elder patients is less likely
to commit elder abuse compared to a caregiver that is just doing
to job for money.
Lastly, on the macro level to prevent elder abuse it is important
that organizations provide care for their employees. Employees
at assisted care facilities should have weekly meetings with
their supervisor to discuss any concerns or stress related issues,
residents of the facilities should also be asked on a weekly basis
regarding the care they are receiving. Staying up-to-date and
aware of the treatment of patients in the facility can reduce the
chance of elder abuse because employees are less likely to
commit the act if they know they are being closely watched.
Christ, G., & Diwan, S (2008). Chronic Illness and aging: The
role of social work in managing chronic illness care. Council on
social work education. Retrieved from:
www.cswe.org/getattachment/Centers-Initiative/CSWE-Gero-

11. Ed-Center/Teaching-Tools/Gero-Competencies/Practice-
Guides/Assignments-Measurements/CI-Sec-Role-SW.pdf.aspx
Lee, M. (2008). Caregiver Stress and Elder Abuse among
Korean Family Caregivers of Older Adults with Disabilities.
Journal of Family Violence,23
(8), 707-712. doi:10.1007/s10896-008-9195-2
Paveza, G.J. (2013), Assesment of the elderly. In M.J. Holosko,
C.N. Dulmus, & K.M. Sowers (Eds), Social Work Practice with
Individuals and Families: Evidence-informed assessments and
interventions. (pp177-195). Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley.