Using clinical signs of neglect to identify elder neglect cases.

Elder neglect is the one of the most pervasive forms of mistreatment, and often the only place outside of the individual's residence to identify and assist neglected individuals is in a medical setting. However, elder neglect cases treated in hospitals do not present with a single diagnosis or clinical sign, but rather involve a complex constellation of clinical signs. Currently, there is a lack of comprehensive guidelines on which clinical signs to use in screening tools for neglect among patients treated in hospitals.