Organisations around the world are raising awareness, we must encourage older people to speak out.

Speaking on the eve of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day which takes place tomorrow (Friday), Fine Gael Dun Laoghaire Deputy, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, commended the HSE, the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA), UCD and all of the organisations involved in working to shed light on the abuse and mistreatment of older people.

“Tomorrow marks World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. What better day to initiate the conversation about the mistreatment of older people?

“This is a subject that is very close to my heart and since coming to the Dáil I have been trying to do my bit to highlight the issue. I have hosted a briefing on elder abuse which was addressed by Age Action and will continue to use my position to talk about this harrowing subject.

“In 2010, the first Irish prevalence study on elder abuse was carried out by The National Centre for the Protection of Older People in UCD. Since then the work has been continuing, with a report entitled ‘Older People’s Experiences of Mistreatment and Abuse’ launched today by the Director of the National Centre for the Protection of Older People at UCD, Professor Gerard Fealy. This report tackles the issue head-on, taking account of the acts of abuse perpetrated on older people and their experience of same.

“Often, older people see themselves as a burden on and an inconvenience for those charged with their care, with the result that mental, verbal, physical and financial abuse is tolerated. The HSE has embarked on a campaign to highlight that elder abuse in all forms is unacceptable. Supports are in place to deal with this issue; it’s up to us to convey this fact to older people.

“2012 is the European Year of Positive Ageing and Inter-generational Solidarity. Let’s make tomorrow the day we open up the conversation about elder abuse and make this year the one we shine the global spotlight on older people to ensure that they are living abuse free lives and enjoying their latter years in the exact way they should.”