Crime and Violence: Forces for Good or Evil?

1. Crime and Violence: Forces for Good or Evil? Lecture Ten Elderly Abuse: a hidden problem?

2. Definitions Elderly abuse is defined as: • ‘ the systematic maltreatment, physical, emotional or financial, of an elderly person by a care giving relative.’ Eastman (1984 Old age abuse - a new perspective. Co-published with Age Concern London, Chapman Hall). Alternatively, Action on Elder Abuse suggest this definition: • ‘A single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person.’ Action on Elder Abuse, (1995)

3. What forms of violence do the elderly experience? There are a number of ways in which the elderly person might be abused. Action on Elder Abuse identifies the five main types of abuse: 1. Physical 2. Psychological 3. Financial 4. Sexual 5. Neglect Action on Elder Abuse estimates 5% of all older people have been abused. • http://www.elderabuse.org.uk/

4. Their helpline received 1,421 calls during two years (between 1997 and 1999) • 455 were about the abuse of men while 1,128 calls concerned women. Numbers Percentages Male 455 28.7% Female 1,128 71.3%

5. Age of victim Male Female Total 50-54 9 20 29 55-59 8 15 23 60-64 23 65 88 65-69 28 71 99 70-74 51 122 173 75-79 34 107 141 80-84 62 163 225 85-89 38 83 121 90-94 17 87 104 95+ 4 11 15 274 744 1,018

6. Brown, H and Stein, J (1998) Implementing adult protection policies in Kent and East Sussex Journal of Social Policy vol.27, issue 3, pp 371-396: ‘people over 85 were nearly seven times more likely to be known to be abused than a vulnerable adult of 65-74’.

7. Who are the abusers? • Adult child • Spouse • Sons and daughters in law • Doctors

8. Physical signs of violence: • These are very similar to other survivors of abuse: • Unexplained bruises and old scars • X-Ray evidence of old fractures • Obvious signs of malnutrition, poor personal hygiene, dehydration etc. • Signs of facial bruising, fingermark bruising on limbs. • Burns - especially from cigarettes, bath water which was too hot. • Evidence of the use of physical restraints.

9. Actual or Suspected Abuse Number of calls Percentage • Suspected 324 23.3% Actual 1,068 76.7% 1,392 100.0%

10. Where abuse occurs Numbers Percentages Other 35 2.4% Sheltered housing 61 4.2% Hospital 73 5.0% Residential Home 146 10.1% Nursing Home 169 11.6% Own home 969 66.7% 1,453 100.0%

11. Bogus Callers Dot Branning, EastEnders April 2003 According to research by Help the Aged (http://press.helptheaged.org.uk/_press/Releases/_items/bogus_crime.htm) more than 300,000 older people around Britain fall victim to some form of attempted bogus caller crime every year. 51% of older people fail to report bogus caller incidents to police A quarter (25%) of older people open the door without employing any precautions nearly a quarter (23%) of women aged over 60 worry everytime they answer the door to unknown callers

12. Support for the elderly • In 1988, Age Concern, England, issued a Charter of Rights to Community Care for Older People. • The Law Commission report on mental capacity (Law Commission, 1995) • The Lord Chancellor’s Department consultation document (Lord Chancellor’s Department, 1997) included draft adult protection legislation • Making decisions (1999)-a policy paper from the Lord Chancellor’s Department • The Department of Health issued guidance in 2000 on the establishment of multi-agency policies and procedures for the protection of vulnerable adults.

13. Electronic Journal resource Jones, H. and Powell, J. (2006) ‘Old Age, Vulnerability and Sexual Violence: Implications for Knowledge and Practice’. International Nursing Review. Issue 53 (3): 211-216.