ALONE appeals for greater awareness around elder abuse World Elder Abuse Awareness Day June 15th
5th June 2015 ALONE is highlighting the need for greater awareness around elder abuse this World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15th.
Sean Moynihan, CEO of ALONE says, “Almost 80% of elder abuse is perpetrated by a family member making it extremely difficult to detect. Financial and psychological abuses are the most frequent kinds. This is a really delicate issue and family members or members of the public who suspect abuse are welcome to reach out to ALONE, we can provide advice, information and support. Older persons who have no support within their community, without friends, neighbours or family to turn to are four times more likely to suffer abuse than those with high levels of community support.”
ALONE is concerned with the lack of regulation within the care sector, Moynihan states, “Wherever there are people who are dependent on unregulated sources of care givers, there is the potential for abuse. All organisations, be they public, private or statutory working with individuals on a one to one basis should be trained, supported and properly regulated. There is a lot of inconsistency in the area of care giving and where there are unsupervised people working with vulnerable people the potential for elder abuse is heightened”.
Earlier this year ALONE campaigned to ensure that private nursing home residents be given access to an independent, external complaints process. 80% of nursing home residents were in private nursing homes, and they, unlike their counterparts in public nursing homes had no independent body to which they could make a complaint. Minister Howlin has since given assurance that by the end of June, the Ombudsman’s office will have the power to investigate individual complaints within private nursing homes, a move that his welcomed by ALONE.
Moynihan says, “It is important that those who are most vulnerable in society have a voice and that the balance of power is skewed to ensure they are protected”.
ALONE have long called for quality and accountability through the care sector. A small staff team and over 180 volunteers work with over 300 older people every week. ALONE are committed to training, quality and accountability and have an international quality standard around for the service they provide. For those who have concerns about their own wellbeing, or the wellbeing of a vulnerable older person in the community, ALONE can be contacted on (01) 679 1032. To make a donation and help aid ALONE’s work visit www.alone.ie
