title: Adult Protective Services workers' experiences with serious illness and death.
abstract: This study examined the emerging issue of experiences with end-of-life issues in adult protection. A national survey of adult protective services (APS) workers (N=508) examined encounters with serious illness, injury, death, and bereavement and how these situations were handled professionally and personally. APS workers often encountered clients and caregivers with life-threatening illnesses, and clients receiving hospice services. About three-quarters had worked on at least one case involving a client's death. Overall, more education and training about serious and terminal illness, death, grief, and bereavement is needed to prepare APS workers to work with clients and their families facing a variety of end-of-life situations.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0314, USA. ecsikai@sw.ua.edu
authors.forename: Ellen L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Csikai
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Whalen
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Otto
authors.forename: Daniel W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Durkin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001601:Bereavement; D017028:Caregivers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003376:Counseling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004552:Elder Abuse / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011361:Professional Competence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012947:Social Work / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States