People suspected to be the victims or the perpetrators of elder abuse should be interviewed separately and alone, both because a relative or caregiver may be the abuser and because victims may be hesitant to reveal mistreatment when others are present because of embarrassment or shame. In addition, separate interviews may uncover differences between the patient’s explanations and those of the relative or caregiver with regard to physical findings (such as mechanism of injury) that increase the likelihood of abuse. Indirect questions can be used initially with the potential victim, since they may be less threatening (e.g., “Do you feel safe at home?” “Does someone handle your checkbook?”). Direct questioning, if necessary, should be similar to that in the investigation of other forms of domestic abuse and can include questions such as “Does anyone in your home hurt you?” and “Has someone not helped you when you needed their help?” Because dementia increases the risk of elder abuse and because depression is very common among older adults, no evaluation is complete without a formal assessment of cognition and mood, conducted by either the primary care physician or a mental health professional, neurologist, or geriatrician.