Annette Brooke supports the first World Elder Abuse Awareness Day - 15th June 2006

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 15th Jun 2006

Annette Brooke supports Help the Aged's campaign

More older people will face abuse if the gap in the Human Rights Act remains, warns Help the Aged.

Help the Aged is calling on the Government to 'lose the loophole' in the Human Rights Act, which currently fails to protect the UK's 650,000 older people who receive care by private care providers (1). Only those cared for by public authorities are able seek redress for mistreatment through the Act, leaving the majority who receive private care without protection of their basic human rights.

500,000 older people are believed to be abused at any one time in the UK (2). The abuse can be financial, physical, emotional, sexual or sheer neglect. The Charity is warning that in spite of public awareness of elder abuse, people's confusion around how to respond and take action means abuse could remain undetected and unreported.

Therefore, as part of its nationwide campaign, supported by Action on Elder Abuse, Help the Aged is challenging the public to sign a special 'I Will' pledge. The Charity aims to collect 25,000 pledges to support its call for Government action to tackle this national scandal.

Kate Jopling, public affairs manager for Help the Aged, said:

"It is a national travesty that the vast majority of older people who are cared for by the private or voluntary sector have no way of enforcing their rights as human beings if they are mistreated.

"The Human Rights Act is of fundamental importance for older people, but it is not working effectively to protect them. Unless strong new laws are introduced, abuse of this kind will continue to be treated only as a matter of poor standards.

"We all have a duty to look out for older people in our community. By keeping a watchful eye on our older relatives, friends and neighbours, everyone can start to play a role in tackling elder abuse."

Help the Aged is encouraging the public to visit www.iwill.co.uk to sign up to the 'I Will' pledge to stop to elder abuse, or to download a blank petition. Alternatively, members of the public can pop into any Help the Aged high street shop to sign the petition.

ENDS

1. Source: Laing and Buisson Care of the Elderly Market Report 2005.

2. This figure is based on the scientific study of elder abuse (Ogg and Bennett 1992) on behalf of the Royal London Trust and published in the BMJ. This study involved 2,130 adults (older people and carers/ relatives) supplemented by data from the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys. Abuse can happen anywhere, at any time, be it physical, financial, emotional, sexual abuse or sheer neglect.

Notes to Editors

• Help the Aged is supporting World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (15 June 2006), which is organised by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse. For more information visit www.inpea.net

• In January 2006, Help the Aged launched a nationwide campaign to help tackle elder abuse, in partnership with Action on Elder Abuse. As part of its campaign, the Charity is supporting and promoting a dedicated helpline run by Action on Elder Abuse.

• The Action on Elder Abuse response line, a free helpline for anyone who is worried about abuse, is available 9:00am - 5:00pm Monday to Friday: 080 8808 8141

Key facts about elder abuse

• 500,000 older people are believed to be abused at any one time in the UK.

Calls to the Action on Elder Abuse helpline indicate that:

• Woman and those aged 70 years plus are at higher risk of being abused;

• Typically, the person committing abuse is known to the person experiencing abuse and is in a position of trust;

• 64% per cent of abuse happens in the home and 28% per cent in a professional setting;

• 46 per cent of abuse is carried out by family members, and 34 per cent by paid workers;

• It is important to note, however, that where the person committing abuse is a family member, that it is not normally the primary carer.