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Elder Abuse |
6 February 2007 |
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According to Help the Aged, who launch a national campaign today, half a million older people are being abused – emotionally, physically, sexually or financially – at any one time.
But what is surprising is that the person carrying out the abuse is often a relative or a friend of the victim – rather than anonymous abuse being carried out in a care home by professional staff. The largest proportion of abusers, 46%, are relatives; with a quarter of abusers actually a son or a daughter. The majority of abuse, 65%, occurs in the older person’s own home.
So why does abuse occur in such close relationships? Is abuse always malevolent, or could it be the result of rather more complex factors? And is the best approach to reducing elder abuse to try to understand it, or to call for a ‘zero tolerance approach’?
To discuss these issues Jenni is joined by Lizzie Jeans, manager of the campaign at Help the Aged and Dr Jane Garner, consultant psychiatrist in old age psychiatry in Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust.
Help the Aged
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