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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| Elder abuse is a crime - now let's make it one | | Corporate Author | Action on Elder Abuse |
| Publisher | Action on Elder Abuse, [London], 2016 |
| Pages | 100 pp |
| Source | Download: http://www.elderabuse.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/20... |
| Keywords | Elder abuse ; Neglect [care] ; Crime ; Social policy ; Case studies ; Reports. |
| Annotation | 'Elder abuse' is defined as being physical, psychological, financial, sexual abuse and neglect. Action on Elder Abuse (AEA) made Freedom of Information requests to 44 police forces in England and Wales, asking them about their actions in the previous twelve months in relation to elder abuse and neglect, but 40 declined to answer. It is estimated that between 500,000 and 600,000 older people in the UK are abused in their own homes each year. AEA is seeking elder abuse legislation for the UK that would introduce: a criminal offence of elder abuse; mandatory reporting of elder abuse; a crime of theft or fraud of an older person; a court order to prevent further abuse; and a power to access and speak to a potential victim of elder abuse, the general right of access by family and friends, and wrongful isolation. This report discusses the reasons why we need to criminalise elder abuse: victims are often more vulnerable and the impact is often greater; existing laws are not strong enough; older people are less likely to report abuse; the current system is not fit for purpose; criminalisation would increase public awareness and would provide additional safeguards; abuse in care settings is not adequately addressed; and elder abuse is not given sufficient political attention. The report differentiates between elder abuse and adult protection. It offers comparison with with other countries; for example, San Diego County, California handles some 9,000 cases of elder and dependent adult abuse each year. The report advocate development of more pro-active prosecution policies, and a political commitment to abused older people. Appendix B presents 23 case studies which summarise the often inadequate outcomes of prosecutions. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-160715001 E |
| Classmark | QNT: QNR: TWA: TM2: 69P: 6K |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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