New Study on Elder Neglect

Age Concern New Zealand recently celebrated World Elder Abuse Awareness Day with the release of a report on the neglect of older people in New Zealand.

The report, Elder neglect: An analysis of cases referred to Age Concern New Zealand during 2002-2006 was conducted by The Family Centre Social Policy Research Unit and The Population Studies Centre, University of Waikato.

The study analyses the portion of all the elder abuse cases referred to Elder Abuse and Neglect Prevention Services since 2002 that included neglect (17%).

A key finding was that the neglect of older people is mostly as a result of their own families intentionally depriving them. Neglect was most found to occur 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.

Over half of neglected older people had unmet health needs, for example, carers did not take them to the doctor or fill prescriptions. Forty-seven percent of neglected older people had inadequate food.

Age Concern said that 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. Age Concern had seen cases including 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 were afraid to ask for assistance because they were afraid of their carers.

The study shows that those people who perpetrate neglect are people under stress: they're often the primary care giver who is also facing financial, family violence, health or job problems of their own. Often the perpetrator is dependent on the neglected person for housing, financial and emotional support. Many family members responsible for financial abuse of an older person had addiction problems.

Some older people tolerated neglect because of family loyalty and their need for companionship, the authors claim.

"The good news is that the study also shows ways that neglect can be avoided," Jayne McKendry from Age Concern 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.

Around the world, 15 June is a day to raise awareness of elder abuse and neglect and to renew calls to end the abuse of older people.

For more information see http://www.ageconcern.org.nz/?/services/EANP-InfoKit#InfoKit