Woking and Elmbridge held another successful joint event, the purpose of which was to highlight the distressing issue of Elder Abuse.
Daniel Blake, the Policy Development Manager from Action on Elder Abuse (AEA), spoke passionately on the extent of various types of abuse – physical, psychological, financial, sexual and neglect, that vulnerable older people can be subjected to. In 1993, AEA established a definition of elder abuse which has been adopted by the World Health Organisation. This is: 75 for 75 Campaign for Water Aid
‘A single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person.’
Daniel also pointed out that Government studies estimate that abuse of older people is far in excess of the estimated abuse of children. He believed that if the incidence of abuse of children and animals was at the same level as that of older people, there would be a national outcry. His mantra is that we should ‘call it what it is’ – ‘abuse is abuse’, and in the same context, ‘a crime is a crime’.
The second speaker, Eleanor Jones fromAge Concern, Runnymede, gave us a comprehensive overview of the practical assistance that the organization provides. Many of the leaflets she brought along were targeted specifically at concerns about money as many elderly people have no idea of the benefits they are entitled to and subsist on very little.
Patsy Durrant, Team Manager of theWeybridge Social Care Team, is responsible for services throughout Weybridge, Walton and Hersham. They look after adults of 18 and over with physical difficulties and everyone over 65. She supported much of what Daniel Blake had said and drew attention to the Surrey Adult Protection Committee, whose leaflet contains the contact details for Surrey County Council’s Social Care Services and Surrey Police as well as the Action on Elder Abuse national helpline number. Like Daniel, she was also concerned with the impending cuts on care services to older people. She differed from Daniel in her assessment of who are the main perpetrators of abuse of the elderly. Daniel’s experience of cases from AEA’s helpline highlighted the extended family and friends, but Patsy’s cited problems in some care homes in this area. Reviews of Care Homes can be obtained from:
Care Quality Commission
Telephone: 03000 616161
An informative and thought provoking evening.