Abuse Of Older People ‘Most Prevalent In The Community’

The English Community Care Association (ECCA), the leading representative body for independent care homes, has responded to the research by the King’s College Institute of Gerontology and Comic Relief which shows that the majority of abused older people are living in the community.

Martin Green, Chief Executive of ECCA, says: “The push towards care in people’s homes has left many older people very vulnerable to abuse.   The policy of keeping people in their own homes needs to be backed by some strategy that ensures older people are safe and protected. Within residential care there are lots of checks and balances in the system. These include regulation, other residents, carers and families and members of staff.  

“However, in many situations in their own homes vulnerable older people may only have contact with their abuser. There is a need to raise the profile of this issue and to support advocacy services such as Help the Aged, Age Concern and Action on Elder Abuse so that vulnerable older people have somewhere to turn”.