'Sickening' OAP abuse levels rise
SELBY MP John Grogan has welcomed a report that highlights an increase in abuse against elderly people in North Yorkshire.
An annual report by the North Yorkshire and York Safeguarding Adults Partnership Board revealed the number of investigated cases of alleged abuse against vulnerable adults rose from 70 in 2006/07 to 88 in 2007/08 – a 51 per cent increase since 2005/06, when 58 cases were investigated.
The pattern of abuse remained similar to previous years, with physical abuse occurring in 36 per cent of cases, but with financial abuse continuing to rise from 25 per cent in 2006/07 to 33 per cent in 2007/08.
Mr Grogan said: "There is nothing more sickening than hearing about elderly people, who have helped build our society and some of whom fought for our country, being exploited and abused.
"They deserve our respect and recognition, rather than mistreatment.
"The board is to be commended for highlighting this important issue. "The report also found most cases of abuse occurred in the person's own home, but a significant number took place in residential and nursing homes.
The revelations follow two high-profile cases of abuse against vulnerable people by carers from Selby district. In April, care home worker Alison Bellhouse, from Brayton, was found guilty of ill-treating dementia patients in her charge. The mum-of-two was given a six-month suspended sentence, ordered to complete 80 hours unpaid work and prevented from ever working with vulnerable people again.
In May, just two weeks later, Margaret Wilde, from Eggborough, was given a nine-month suspended sentence and ordered to complete 150 hours unpaid work for punching and standing on the foot of a mentally ill patient at Temple Manor Nursing Home in Temple Hirst, where she had worked for eight years.
The report recommends extra staff should be recruited to take responsibility for safeguarding adults, to reflect the increasing number of referrals for adult protection. Training and awareness raising also remain a focal point of the work on adult protection, and the board requires all partners to sign up to a certain level of training for their staff.
SOURCE: Selby Times
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