Age Concern New Zealand Media statement

14 June 2007

Older people neglected, most by their families

Some seniors are starving and facing poverty, depression and health breakdowns through neglect, most due to their own families intentionally depriving them.

Age Concern New Zealand has released findings from a new study of elder neglect today as part of events to mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (tomorrow, June 15).

"Elder abuse and neglect is a global problem," says Age Concern New Zealand's Jayne McKendry. Between 3 percent and 10 percent of the older population experience some form of abuse or neglect.

Seventeen percent of referrals to Age Concern Elder Abuse and Neglect Prevention Services since 2002 included neglect. Neglect often occurred together with physical, emotional and financial elder abuse.

Women aged 75 to 84 living with their partner or other family/whanau are most often neglected. The people who neglect them are most often family members.

Health is most likely to be neglected. Over half of neglected older people had unmet health needs. Carers won't take them to the doctor because it's too much hassle, or because other abuse might be found out. Some won't fill older people's prescriptions because it's too expensive or they don't think the treatment is needed.

Forty-seven percent of neglected older people had inadequate food. DHB figures show that older people accounted for almost half the malnutrition cases in public hospitals last year, with 250 of these patients aged 65 or older.

"To discover so many older people not even having such a basic human need as food being met was shocking," says Jayne McKendry.

Cases seen by Age Concern included disabled older people not getting enough time or assistance to eat their food, or only receiving one meal a week.

Other seniors had power cut off when carers didn't pay the bills, were left without enough money for their basic needs, or couldn't ask for assistance because they were afraid of their carers.

The study shows that people who neglect older people fit a common profile.

Neglecters are people under stress: they're the primary care giver plus they can be facing financial, family violence, health or job problems of their own. They're often dependent on the neglected person for housing, financial and emotional support. Many family members responsible for neglect through financial abuse had addiction(s).

The study found that some older people tolerated neglect because of family loyalty and their need for companionship.

"The good news is that the study also shows ways that neglect can be avoided," Jayne McKendry says. It offers a range of strategies including raising awareness of neglect, better financial management, improving support for caregivers and older people and giving them more information about the care available, and changes to needs assessments, residential care and home support services.

"However, the real cure is to destroy ageist attitudes. One of the impacts of ageism is that people think it's okay to do things to older people they wouldn't do to anyone else."

"Empowering older people so they can exercise their rights and advocate for their own interests is the key to preventing elder abuse and neglect," Jayne McKendry says.

ENDS

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