Some social workers deserve your faith, limited though resources are they do have to comply with the law; by the very act of calling you, you can know that the matter will be investigated. There are brilliant advocacy services, often employed by social services, who do a great job of ascertaining the wishes of even the most demented. Be reassured that this lady is probably not being hit, but she is afraid and that could be a result of her dementia or her carers. She may even be remembering being hit by someone else; long term memories can be very active in such cases. Carers vary, and while I have never seen abuse, I have seen behaviours I would view as inappropriate. They are also paid peanuts for dealing with some difficult people, situations and incontinence pads. They should be paid more and most are wonderful.