What To Do When You Suspect Elder Abuse? Trust Your Gut!
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is marked on 15 June each year. Unfortunately, elder abuse is prevalent in New Zealand but often not reported.
But we can all play our part in speaking up, so older Kiwis can be free from the fear, mental anguish, emotional pain, and distress the elder abuse causes.
The impact of elder abuse is profound for older people, but also avoidable if they get help and intervention services early.
“Trust your gut and get in touch with us, says Karen Billings-Jensen, Chief Executive at Age Concern New Zealand.
“Talking to someone early on is a game-changer. If we all acted on the inkling we have, when something seems a bit off, older people’s lives and dignity would be saved, she says.
“I recently heard of a case where a group of
neighbours were worried about the way
a son was treating
his father. They had suspected things weren’t right but
didn’t say
anything. The father ended up being
railroaded into care, and the son sold his house
for his
own benefit. The neighbours now know things could have
worked out much better if they had come to Age Concern for
advice sooner, she says.
“If you suspect an older person is not being treated well, we would love a call from you to talk about the situation. I urge you to trust your gut and get in touch, with your nearest Age Concern by free phoning 0800 65 2 105” says Billings-Jensen.
So, what are the
numbers?
We should all be alarmed about the
frequency of elder abuse happening in our homes across New
Zealand. Age Concern see an average of 10 new cases each
working day and 68 percent of these are
substantiated.
Who are the
perpetrators?
Unfortunately, the abuse is often
at the hands of someone we trust and both men and women can
be the perpetrators. But we know most elder abuse in New
Zealand “hits close to home” as 84% of alleged abusers
were family members. 58% were adult children or
grandchildren.
So, what do you
do?
Please don't ignore your gut feeling, often
it is correct. Age Concern is here to listen to your
concerns and can help assess the situation you are worried
about. Our services are free and the information you share
with us will be treated confidentially.
Call your nearest Age Concern on 0800 65 2 105. You can also call the government helpline 0800 EA NOT OK.
If you can donate to support our work this World Elder Abuse Awareness Day please go to our website or givealittle.co.nz/cause/stopelderabuse.