Advisers, advocates, counsellors and mediators in elder abuse casework

Complex conflicts in elder abuse, its causes, typology, protection and prevention, suggest that co‐operation by multi‐disciplinary social services should be a major consideration in policy decision‐making, planned intervention and support. Casework of the Elder Mediation Project (EMP for empowerment), and related agencies, provides some practical evidence for this view. There are shared casework values and similar as well as different skills. However, when service user interests are paramount, the professional concerns of service providers for defined roles and boundaries raise ethical issues. Are there conflicts between old people's needs for trusting, confidential relationships with one worker, and case co‐ordinators' promotion of varied specialist input? Could approaching elder abuse through a multi‐skilled key worker, as well as by multi‐disciplinary social service workers, offer complementary and co‐operative interventions? Brief anonymised case notes suggest that practitioners may face professional conflicts about social intervention as casework diversifies and service user involvement in decision‐making increases, but some guidelines to good practice are offered.