LETTER: Staying in control

The abuse and neglect of older people is a growing concern for us at Independent Age, the older people's charity.
By The Newsroom
Published 20th Feb 2016, 06:43 BST

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We’re troubled because we get calls from elderly people and their families who are worried about the issue. In order to help older people and their families who think they might be at risk of abuse, we’ve brought out a new free advice leaflet called ‘Staying in control when you’re older’. It provides practical information on different types of abuse, how to spot it, who is at risk and where to go for help if you or someone you know is being abused.

There are many different types of abuse, with the most common in the South East being neglect and omission, followed by physical abuse, according to the Health & Social Care Information Centre’s (HSCIC) latest annual report on safeguarding adults, published in October 2015. According to the report, safeguarding referrals were made relating to 14,350 adults in the South East in 2014/15. The report also found that the most common place for alleged cases of abuse in the South East was in a person’s own home, with the second most common being in a care home.

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We believe that no-one should suffer abuse, especially when they’re in an environment where they ought to feel safe.

The ‘Staying in control when you’re older’ leaflet is free. You can download it from www.independentage.org or call 0800 319 6789. The free Independent Age advice line (0800 319 6789) can offer advice.

Lucy Harmer

Independent Age, Avonmore Road, London

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