The North of Ireland has just made a crucial step in stopping abuse of older people

Hourglass, the only charity in the North of Ireland dedicated to ending the abuse, neglect and exploitation of older people, has highlighted the scale of abuse of older people as they welcome Siobhan Casey as the new Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland, calling on her to support the charity and its mission.

The North of Ireland: some concrete action on older people abuse

The North of Ireland has a rapidly ageing population, which is projected to increase by 49% by 2050, meaning in just 25 years over a quarter of people living there will be over the age of 65.

As the nation’s ageing population continues to grow, so too do the challenges older people face, from economic abuse and safeguarding concerns to social isolation and access to justice and social care.

The charity provides a variety of support options including a 24/7 Helpline, instant messaging service and one-to-one specialist support, with their research showing that the abuse of older people is a growing concern as calls to the Hourglass helpline have increased by 182% in the last seven years.

The cost of abuse to older victim-survivors is staggering, resulting in trauma, depression, anxiety, loss of familial contact, physical health issues and in the worst cases, premature death and early care admission.

The social and economic cost is likewise devastating, with Hourglass’ Economics of Abuse report revealing that the social and economic impact of abuse of older people costs the Six Counties over £49 million each and every year.

As the North of Ireland awaits the progression of the Adult Protection Bill, Hourglass offers its full support to the new Commissioner and calls for a joined-up approach between Executive departments, statutory bodies and community organisations to address the issues facing older people in the North of Ireland today.

Hourglass: attitudes must change

Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Policy at Hourglass, Veronica Gray said:

Siobhan Casey has demonstrated throughout her career that she is a strong advocate for the rights of older people in Northern Ireland. Her appointment as Commissioner comes at a crucial time, especially as recent Hourglass research estimates that the abuse of older people costs Northern Ireland over £49 million every year.

Every day our frontline staff in Northern Ireland hear from older victims and survivors of physical, sexual, psychological, economic abuse and neglect. A recent Hourglass/YouGov survey uncovered a range of distressing attitudes towards the rights, safety and dignity of older people in Northern Ireland.

For example, 32% of respondents in Northern Ireland did not believe that ‘Taking items from an older relative’s home without asking’ is a form of abuse, while 20% of respondents did not believe that ‘“Scamming” an older person out of money either online or over the phone’ is a form of abuse. From these figures it’s clear that addressing the abuse of older people must be a priority for the Commissioner.

We look forward to collaborating with the Commissioner’s office to change attitudes, strengthen protections, advocate for better policies and ensure that we build a safer ageing society where every older person can live free from harm. We hope to see a renewed focus on safeguarding and a commitment to tackling the abuse and neglect of older people in all its forms.

Hourglass is urging the new Commissioner to work with stakeholders to research, undertake consultation and develop a strategy to tackle abuse and neglect of older people which would complement the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy and include specific commitments to fund and properly resource specialist services for older victim-survivors of abuse.

Hourglass stands ready to work alongside the new Commissioner to ensure that the voices of older victim-survivors are heard and that meaningful action is taken to protect them.

Featured image via the Canary