Abuse of Older People

Abuse of older people is a human rights issue. It is in the news at the minute in Ireland because Prime Time did a programmed on Monday night about abuse of people in their own homes by carers.

My attitude is we are all going to be old someday. We are all going to get weaker and more dependent on other people. Being fit and active can help to delay this process. Poverty is one of the main problems in old age. For someone who relies on the State Pension alone their income is currently ??19 per week and that rises to ??29 when you are over 80 years old.

The Prime Time programme highlighted issues of force feeding, threatening behaviour and stealing by carers. There are a lot of companies in Ireland today who provide care services to people living in their own homes and these are under contract to the Health Service Authority. That organisation also provides carers to the majority of people being cared for at home. The other alternative for older people is of course to go into a nursing home but that is very expensive - usually in excess of ??00 per week and the older person will probably have to sell their house to pay for their care.

The World Health Organisation defined elder abuse in 2002
"A single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes further harm or distress to an older person or violates their human and civil rights"

Dr. Corina Naughton of University College Dublin produced a Report on the National Study of Elder Abuse and Neglect which was published in November 2010. It outlines different types of abuse against older people, physical, psychological, financial and sexual which causes emotional distress, loss of self confidence and possible depression in older people. It is interesting to note that 50% of the cases studied involved abuse of an older person by an adult child, 20% by a spouse or partner, 24% by other relations, 4% by a friend and only 2% by a Home Help/Carer.

The issue of elder abuse really came to light in Ireland as a result of the Inquiry into the Leas Cross Nursing Home in Swords County Dublin which was forced to close in 1995. The Commission of Investigation into Leas Cross published its report in June 2009 and it recommended the following:-

1. Set clear standards of care
2. Carry out inspections
3. Train care staff
4. Public Health Nurses should be more involved in care and supervision of the elderly

From 1st July 2009 The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) assumed legal responsibility for the registration and inspection of residential care services for older people in the public private and voluntary sectors in Ireland. HIQA must ensure that nursing homes comply with the conditions of their registration. On my reading HIQA should also be responsible for carers in people's homes.

Aine Brady, the Minister for Older People said during the week that guidelines are to be put in place regarding home carers (home help). But these appear to be of a voluntary nature and not legally enforceable. Age Actioin Ireland in their vision and mission statement say that older people should be entitled to independence, participation in society, care, self fulfillment and dignity. There should be adequate community services to help people stay in their homes as long as possible and transport to bring them places.

Mistreatment of older people takes place on a number of levels and the responsibility is that of the whole of society, the older people themselves, families, communities, the media, policy makers and financial institutions. We need to be mindful of the fact that someday we will all be old.