Action needed to stamp out abuse of the elderly
by Staff Reporter, Western Mail
HANGES in Wales’ demographic make-up mean we are living longer than ever before, and the proportion of the population aged over 65 is growing all the time. Yet we remain a long way from creating a society which respects and cares for its older members.
Issues ranging from the cost of pensions to the structure of health and care services need to be addressed now, in anticipation of what will be an increasingly older society in the decades to come.
As today’s report from charity Action on Elder Abuse suggests, there are plenty of challenges to be addressed. They focus on the role of the Commissioner for Older People, a unique Welsh position, and make a series of criticisms.
These criticisms need to be addressed if the commissioner is to be an effective advocate for the rights of older people – something the Children’s Commissioner’s office has done with some success.
But if the implication of the charity’s report is correct – that people are suffering as a result of gaps in the regulation process – then that needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
Elder abuse is a horrific indictment of any society, and the suggestion, made in a government- funded report, that it may be more prevalent in Wales than elsewhere, should be a wake-up call for all of us.
Its causes may range from malice to poor training and staff shortages in care homes, but each element needs to be tackled as part of a coherent strategy.
Abridged
SOURCE: Wales Online, UK
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