09 June 2009
Fewer than a third of referrals involving elderly people involved those living within the borough's care or nursing homes.
But the council's Adult Safeguarding Board also warns in its annual report against interpreting the three per cent overall rise as necessarily indicative of growing levels of cruelty aimed at old people.
They say a vastly improved reporting process could now be responsible for more cases coming to light.
Physical and financial abuse of the elderly remains the predominant problems reported to Adult Services.
But the numbers of OAPs claiming neglect has almost doubled to 20 per cent.
Six per cent of complaints alleged they have been sexually abused.
The report found that old people:
REMAIN the largest single group with 183 referrals (58 per cent) over the past twelve months and have consistently been the victims of two thirds of reported cases of abuse over the last three years.
There were 56 referrals from pensioners living in residential and nursing homes over the past year - 51 per cent of them within mental health services and 25 per cent were older people.
Almost 60 per cent of them were making abuse allegations against staff and 21 per cent against the behaviour of relatives or friends.
Resident on resident abuse accounted for 14 per cent of complaints.
Executive director of Health and Wellbeing Bernard Walker said that safeguarding adults doesn't have the same legislative framework as those protecting children.
But there was now a growing recognition that this is an area which deserves equal attention.
And raising the awareness of channels where vulnerable adults and victims of abuse can raise their concerns - such as the Metro's Borough Life magazine which goes through every letterbox in the borough - is also seen as increasingly successful.
Almost 60 per cent of them were making abuse allegations against staff and 21 per cent against the behaviour of relatives or friends.
Resident on resident abuse accounted for 14 per cent of complaints.
Executive director of Health and Wellbeing Bernard Walker said that safeguarding adults doesn't have the same legislative framework as those protecting children.
But there was now a growing recognition that this is an area which deserves equal attention.
And raising the awareness of channels where vulnerable adults and victims of abuse can raise their concerns - such as the Metro's Borough Life magazine which goes through every letterbox in the borough - is also seen as increasingly successful.
The report concludes that Wigan now has a "good basis for the first time" for dealing with the immediacy of abuse, but the council must continue to build on this, monitor practices while improving inter-agency working.
SOURCE: Wigan Today, Wigan, England UK
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