“Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect” June 2006 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day...

“Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect”

June 2006 www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/adultprotection

• World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

Thursday 15th June 2006

Action on Elder Abuse“Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect”


ELDER ABUSE

Cultural and Economic factors that may affect the risk of elder abuse

include:

•The depiction of older people as frail, weak and dependent

•Erosion of the bonds between generations of a family

•Restructuring of the basic support networks for the elderly

•Migration of young couples to other areas (World Health

Organisation 2002)


•Elder abuse is increasingly being seen as an important problem•It is predicted that by 2025 the global population of those aged 60 and older will more than double – from 542 million to 1.2 billion (World Health Organisation 2002)

June 2006www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/adultprotection



•Up until the last quarter of a century, abuse of the elderly remained a private matter, today it is increasingly being seen as an important problem and one that is likely to grow

•Evidence shows that between 4% and 6% of elderly people have experienced some form of abuse in the home



• The elderly are also at risk of abuse in institutions, such as hospitals, nursing homes and other long-term care facilities•The consequences of abuse for older people can be especially serious because their bones are more brittle and convalescence takes longer



•While some countries include abuse of the elderly under their legal statutes and have fully developed systems for reporting and treating cases of abuse, others have a much more limited response.



• In general countries that deliver services to abused, neglected or exploited older people have done so through the existing health and social services network.



• Within institutions abuse is more likely to occur where care standards are low, staff are poorly trained or overworked and interactions between staff and residents are difficult, the physical environment is deficient and policies can operate in the interests of the institution rather than of the residents



•In some low-income countries, local projects have been established to help older people plan programmes and develop their own services. However, few intervention programmes for abused elders are housed in hospital settings and many doctors do not diagnose abuse because it is not part of their training



How do Gloucester City and Cheltenham compare around the world with its twin cities?


Metz, FranceThere is a very high suicide rate among

the over 65s .

GloucestershireNearly 50% of referrals are for elderly people in vulnerable

situations.Weihai, China

The proportion of people aged 60 or older in China will rise from 7% now to

11.8% in 2020

Sochi, RussiaLife expectancy is now

58yrs for men and 72yrs for women. In rural

areas people over 60 live alone

St Ann’s, Jamaica52% of the senior

citizens over 60 are women.




•Population

•Gloucestershire – 572,791

•France – 60,876,136

•Jamaica – 2,758,124

•China – 1.30628 billion

•Russia – 142,893,540



Metz - France

St Ann - Jamaica

Weihai - China

Sochi - Russia

Gloucestershire

•Metz, France ~ twinned with Gloucester City•Since the heat wave in 2003 the government has created an improved programme to improve medical care and welfare of elderly people and the disabled. The family are expected to care for their ageing parents, if not it is seen as a crime and can be fined if they fail to do so.


. Action on Elder Abuse“Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect”

•Weihai, China ~ twinned with Cheltenham•Chinese tradition is that young people support and take care of elderly members of families, and they pay for medical needs or care. There are also volunteers who care on a 1:1 basis, but it is an increasing challenge to cope with the increasing aged population. There is a state pension but the work pension has recently been reduced from 11% to 8%.



•Sochi, Russia ~ twinned with Cheltenham•From 1992 to 2000 the population has declined by 3m. Russia is in decline in its social care. Outside the big cities there is a crumpled framework of despair, deep insecurity, poverty and shame. Alcohol, heavy smoking and TB are major factors of ill health in the elderly. Life expectancy is now 58yrs for men and 72yrs for women. In rural areas people over 60 live alone. Red Cross nurses provide a very stretched home call service.



•St Ann’s, Jamaica ~ twinned with Gloucester City

•The National Council for Senior Citizens provide Clubs doing craftwork. Caring projects are organised in parishes who provide meals and day care at home and in ‘shut-ins’. There are also educational seminars on benefits and services for the elderly. 52% of the senior citizens over 60 are women.



•Gloucestershire

•Nearly 50% of referrals are for elderly people in vulnerable situations. Older people are most at risk of abuse from neglect in the county, with approximately 40% of referrals falling into this category. Incidents of physical and financial abuse are also high. These ratios are mirrored nationwide.



•What does Gloucestershire Offer?•Gloucestershire was one of the first counties in the UK to develop Adult Protection Procedures. These were initiated in the early 1990s. Since then most other areas have followed Gloucestershire's lead and developed their own procedures. In 2000 the Government launched "No Secrets", a policy document that details how they expect vulnerable adults to be protected from abuse and neglect in England.



•What does Gloucestershire Offer?•Referrals to our Adult Protection Unit (which coordinates a adult protection work) average over 450 each year. Numbers have been rising since the Procedures were launched. Older people are most frequently referred.



•What does Gloucestershire Offer?•In light of the rising phenomenon of elder abuse a review of the county’s multi agency Adult Protection Policy and Procedures has been launched.



•What does Gloucestershire Offer?•One of the aims is to broaden ownership of the process and engage with communities, another is to promote empowerment and self-determination to minimise the risk of vulnerability.



•What does Gloucestershire Offer?•There will be an increasing focus upon early intervention and preventative work.





Action on Elder Abuse

Help to stop it

. Gloucestershire a better place to live, work and learn.

“Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and

Neglect”

“Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect” June 2006 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day...

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