You're a caregiver, tending to an elderly client in a Wyoming nursing home facility, when you notice the client has bruises.

The marks weren't there the day before, and the explanation the client or another worker offers doesn't make sense.

"Reporting is critical," said Chris Newman, a program integrity manager with the state Department of Health.

Newman presented several abuse scenarios to a group of Wyoming health care workers attending a conference on aging at the Parkway Plaza Hotel on Wednesday.

Newman specializes in the care of the developmentally disabled and said Wyoming, like most other states in the country, could use a stronger reporting system.

"I think we would acknowledge that we don't get everything reported - no state does," she said. "I think even this conference is our continued attempt to positively impact that, having all these groups get together and talk and collaborate and see how we can better do that."

Realizing too many of its abuse cases were not being reported, California made it a crime to not report abuse or neglect of vulnerable adults, Newman said.

Wyoming lawmakers made it a misdemeanor to fail to report abuse. But because of the strict language of the law, the failure to report abuse or neglect would have to be blatant for a criminal charge to result, 7th District Attorney Mike Blonigen said.

"We have never, that I can recall, charged a person with only failure to report," he said of Natrona County cases.

Newman said a lot of things can fall under the category of abuse: It can be physical, unreasonable restraint, sexual, mental, financial or neglect.

It can be as inconspicuous as a nursing home staff member making a personal call on a resident's cell phone.

Newman encouraged caregivers and abuse investigators to talk about their personal experiences.

Audience members had questions about reporting suspected financial abuse and client-to-client abuses. Some also said they often want to report clients they see living in poor conditions but weren't sure what could be done when the clients can consent to living that way.

Department of Family Services investigators said they are often frustrated by cases in which they believe abuse has occurred, but they can't substantiate the claim because of the victims' limited mental capacity.

It is difficult to say how many of the country's elderly and disabled are abused, neglected, or exploited.

Official state statistics vary widely, according to the National Center on Elder Abuse, and currently there is no uniform reporting system.

The National Elder Abuse Incidence Study suggests that more than 500,000 Americans aged 60 and over were victims of domestic abuse in 1996.

The study also found that only 16 percent of the abuse situations are referred for help, meaning that 84 percent of cases went unreported or were hidden.

Reports have increased each year, the center report said, and Newman believes that overall reporting of suspected abuse in Wyoming has also improved.

The conference, "Community Response to Victims of Vulnerable Adult Abuse," continues through Friday.