Report reveals high number of relatives ripping off elderly

Abuse most common in community... not in institutions

RELATIVES spending elderly people’s pensions or threatening to keep them away from grandchildren are some of the shocking abuses uncovered in a new survey for the National Safeguarding Committee.

Figures revealed that one in six people say they know of an elderly person who has been deprived of their own money.

The survey comes ahead of a HSE report on the abuse of vulnerable people, which is due to be launched this week.

This is expected to show a high numbers of cases where money has been taken from elderly people, according to Patricia Rickard Clarke, chair of the National Safeguarding Committee.

She said she expected ‘a large increase in numbers as more people become aware of reporting,’ and she adds: ‘I expect financial abuse in relation to older people to be way up there.’

The survey carried out for her committee also found that one in two people know of a vulnerable adult who has experienced at least one type of abuse. It found that elderly people, especially those living alone or living with dementia, can be vulnerable to abuse including financial, emotional or psychological, physical or sexual abuse. Abuse was also reported by adults living with a disability.

Ms Rickard-Clarke said: ‘The highest levels of abuse people talked about were in the community, in the home. We know there is abuse in nursing homes and hospitals but it is most common in the community, that’s the facts.’

One in three people surveyed had experienced or knew someone being emotionally abused.

Ms Rickard-Clarke said this is often linked to financial abuse, saying people reported being denied access to their grandchildren unless they paid money to their son or daughter.

She said others reported someone in the family was accessing their pension and doling it out to them.

She said there were concerns that many people did not realise they were being abused.

Ms Rickard-Clarke said there were other incidents in which people who use wheelchairs were threatened by their families with being abandoned indoors unless they paid over money.

The survey also found 20% – or one in five people – experienced or know someone who has experienced abuse by an organisation.

This includes state bodies but also home care situations in the house.

Ms Rickart-Clarke warned: ‘The poll found a high incidence of people not knowing where to go for help. They might know where to call about physical abuse, but be unsure how to report a doctor or solicitor for taking advantage.’ niamh.griffin@mailonsunday.ie

Threats to deprive them of seeing grandchildren