ERoSH supports World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
ERoSH has given World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) its full public support in the run up to this special international event, to be held for the first time on June 15 2006.
Sheltered and retirement housing now accommodates frailer and more vulnerable people than originally intended as people now move in later in life and remain much longer than 20 years ago. Furthermore, sheltered housing is often overlooked in adult protection work.
There is no reliable data on the extent of the abuse of older people living in sheltered and retirement housing. Analysis of calls to the Action on Elder Abuse helpline, however, regularly shows that between 4% and 6% of calls concern people living in sheltered and retirement housing. As about 6% of older people live in sheltered and retirement housing, this suggests that the incidence of abuse is in proportion to the number living there. Current research funded by Comic Relief to quantify the amount and nature of abuse in England will provide more robust data.
WEAAD aims to raise awareness of elder abuse (which encompasses neglect and mal or mistreatment) throughout the world. The aim is to give abuse and neglect of elders a global relevance that will sustain and move prevention efforts forwards throughout the whole year and in years to come. The Day is being coordinated by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA). In the UK, the campaign is being led by Action on Elder Abuse (AEA). ERoSH has worked closely with AEA on WEAAD to help promote the Day's messages to the sheltered and retirement housing and on joint conferences with the Centre for Sheltered Housing Studies tackling abuse in sheltered housing.
Imogen Parry, ERoSH's Director of Policy and adult protection writer and trainer, said, "Despite the lack of evidence on the amount of abuse in sheltered housing, awareness of and measures to address abuse have increased in the last five years. There is still much to do however, in terms of promoting good practice through training, record keeping, promoting awareness among older people themselves and effective multi agency working, to name just a few areas."
ERoSH is encouraging its membership to organise events and activities promoting the Day's messages to their local communities. In addition, members are also urged to approach health, social services and other professional colleagues to consider promoting WEAAD together.
Other activities in 2006
ERoSH is supporting WEAAD as part of a broader ERoSH campaign called 'Re-shaping attitudes, lives and services', which aims to focus on issues that improve the quality of life of older people everywhere, not just those living in sheltered and retirement housing. ERoSH supports:
- Re-shaping attitudes - World Elder Abuse Awareness Day – 15 June 2006, in association with Action on Elder Abuse (AEA)
- Re-shaping lives - Silver Surfers’ Week – 22-26 May 2006, in association with Digital Unite
- Re-shaping services - National Falls Awareness Day – 27 June 2006, in association with Help the Aged
