‘It’s time to hit the callous carers who rip off our old folk’
MORE must be done to protect vulnerable elderly people from being ripped off by carers, former health minister Norman Lamb said.
Mr Lamb will raise the issue in Parliament to highlight the problem, which has seen up to 130,000 pensioners suffering financial abuse since turning
65, according to Age UK.
The charity’s investigation shows women are twice as likely to be victims. Most at risk are those aged 80 to 89 and living on their own.
In a separate analysis by Alzheimer’s Society, 15 per cent of carers claimed their charge had been a victim of financial abuse.
North Norfolk Lib Dem MP Mr Lamb said: “We need a guarantee for families that any allegation of exploitation will be thoroughly investigated and that action will be taken if evidence of abuse is uncovered.
“The awful truth is that many frail elderly people, often living alone, are vulnerable to exploitation by unscrupulous people.
“The vast majority of carers and cleaners are decent, honest people who do extraordinarily important work, usually for very low wages. And there’s no doubt we should treat them better.
“But there will always be a few bad apples who relish the opportunity to rip off elderly people. And with the prevalence of dementia increasing and with most of us living longer and alone, there are more people who can fall prey to criminals.”
Mr Lamb said courts must send out a “very clear” signal that such offences are “the most serious and disgraceful breach of trust, justifying a heavy sentence”.
But he added: “Just as important, the police have to have the resources to investigate. I have had constituency cases where loved ones have come to me with concerns that an elderly relative has been ripped off.
“Getting the authorities to do anything has proved to be pretty challenging. So bad people get away with it. This has to end.
“Exploiting an elderly person for financial gain is a despicable act. It must be treated as such and given the highest priority by the police, courts and local authorities.”
Alzheimer’s Society is launching a campaign next week to protect dementia sufferers from financial exploitation.
Seeking better information, advice and guidance for patients and carers, it also calls for all in the financial services organisations to sign up to a dementiafriendly charter.
Age UK charity director Caroline Abrahams said: “Everyone should be able to live safely, but something is going badly wrong when each and every day there is yet another truly dreadful case splashed across the papers.
“We worry that many cases of abuse and neglect concerning older people go unreported. We encourage anyone who suspects that this is happening to contact their social services department or the police without delay.”
Alzheimer’s Society policy chief Sally Copley added: “If financial institutions aren’t dementia-friendly and accessible to the most vulnerable people in our society, you can imagine that leaving cash around the house or forgetting pins and passwords could leave them at a greater risk.”