Nurses are well positioned to play an important role in a coordinated action against elder abuse ("The Elder Justice Act: What Nurses Need to Know," Policy and Politics, September).

More and more frequently, we see family members bringing a parent or grandparent into the ED because of conditions such as Alzheimer's disease or dementia. They don't know how to care for the person any more, or simply can't. The reasons vary and may be owing to finances or too many other responsibilities, such as a full-time job or caring for children.

This growing population is crowding our EDs and is costly to our communities and hospitals. And it goes without saying that this is not the best environment for the patient. This is a form of elder abuse.

Part of what's missing in the evaluation of these patients upon arrival in the ED is an elder mistreatment screening tool. We are not using one in my facility. Using such a tool would help us know when to contact an adult protection agency, which is an important resource in placing these patients in a safe environment.

Judi Mattison, RN

Jacksonville, NC