Loneliness, isolation linked to elder abuse
Loneliness and isolation are common denominators in many cases of elder abuse, says Age Concern Nelson Tasman.
Elder abuse response services adviser Mal Drummond said some abusers targeted vulnerable older people. ‘‘They’re after an ability to access their money, either through generosity or deceit. They’ll form a friendship and trust because they’re [older people] lonely and isolated.’’
Drummond said he worked with a man who had been the target of financial abuse. ‘‘I said to him, ‘You saw the money going out of your account – didn’t you think at some stage that you needed to protect that?’. He said to me, ‘It was better to have a friend than no friend at all’.
‘‘So that’s how powerful it is.’’ Manager Caroline Budge said that if loneliness was reduced, ‘‘you reduce the vulnerability and you reduce the chances of abuse’’.
Friday is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. It kicks off a week-long push by Age Concern to raise awareness of the issue, for which the Nelson-Tasman branch receives an average of 110 to 120 referrals annually.
The planned activities include a morning tea from 10am next Wednesday at the Richmond Senior Citizens Hall, with participants urged to wear purple.
Drummond said it was believed that just 16 per cent of elder abuse was reported. Budge added that she suspected feelings of embarrassment by the victims was the cause of the likely under-reporting.
Drummond said the problems here were on a par with elsewhere in New Zealand.
‘‘Behaviour like bullying and intimidation . . . is the majority of the reported occurrences but financial [abuse] is particularly harmful and is quite highly represented in our reporting as well.’’
Abuse affected all socio-economic groups, he said, and more than 70 per cent of alleged abusers were family members, of which about half were the adult children of the victims.
A free and confidential helpline – 0800 3266 865 – is available via the Ministry of Social Development.