“Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect”

1. “Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect” • World Elder Abuse Awareness Day • Thursday 15th June 2006 June 2006 www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/adultprotection

2. Action on Elder Abuse “Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect” • 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) June 2006 www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/adultprotection

3. Action on Elder Abuse “Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect” 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 2006 www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/adultprotection

4. Action on Elder Abuse “Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect” • 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 June 2006 www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/adultprotection

5. Action on Elder Abuse “Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect” • 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 June 2006 www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/adultprotection

6. Action on Elder Abuse “Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect” • 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. June 2006 www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/adultprotection

7. Action on Elder Abuse “Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect” • In general countries that deliver services to abused, neglected or exploited older people have done so through the existing health and social services network. June 2006 www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/adultprotection

8. Action on Elder Abuse “Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect” • 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 June 2006 www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/adultprotection

9. Action on Elder Abuse “Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect” • 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 June 2006 www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/adultprotection

10. Action on Elder Abuse “Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect” How do Gloucester City and Cheltenham compare around the world with its twin cities? June 2006 www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/adultprotection

11. Action on Elder Abuse “Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect” Gloucestershire Nearly 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 Metz, France There is a very high suicide rate among the over 65s . Sochi, Russia Life expectancy is now 58yrs for men and 72yrs for women. In rural areas people over 60 live alone St Ann’s, Jamaica 52% of the senior citizens over 60 are women. June 2006 www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/adultprotection

12. Action on Elder Abuse “Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect” • Population • Gloucestershire – 572,791 • France – 60,876,136 • Jamaica – 2,758,124 • China – 1.30628 billion • Russia – 142,893,540 June 2006 www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/adultprotection

13. Action on Elder Abuse “Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect” Gloucestershire Weihai - China Metz - France St Ann - Jamaica Sochi - Russia June 2006 www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/adultprotection

14. Action on Elder Abuse “Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect” . 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. June 2006 www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/adultprotection

15. 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%. June 2006 www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/adultprotection

16. Action on Elder Abuse “Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect” . 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. June 2006 www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/adultprotection

17. Action on Elder Abuse “Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect” . 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. June 2006 www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/adultprotection

18. Action on Elder Abuse “Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect” . 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. June 2006 www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/adultprotection

19. Action on Elder Abuse “Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect” . 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. June 2006 www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/adultprotection

20. Action on Elder Abuse “Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect” . 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. June 2006 www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/adultprotection

21. Action on Elder Abuse “Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect” . 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. June 2006 www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/adultprotection

22. Action on Elder Abuse “Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect” . 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. June 2006 www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/adultprotection

23. Action on Elder Abuse “Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect” . What does Gloucestershire Offer? There will be an increasing focus upon early intervention and preventative work. June 2006 www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/adultprotection

24. Action on Elder Abuse “Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect” Action on Elder Abuse Help to stop it June 2006 www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/adultprotection

25. . Gloucestershire a better place to live, work and learn. “Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse and Neglect”