Ministry: Elder abuse reports in 2021 overtake 2020 statistics

Social Development and Family Services Minister Donna Cox said it was concerning that the number of reported cases of elder abuse as of May 31, 2021 has surpassed the number of cases reported for all of fiscal year 2019/2020.

She said data from the Division of Aging in Trinidad and Tobago Older Persons Information Centre showed there had been 174 reported cases of elder abuse for the first five months of the year, compared to 153 cases in the previous period.

Speaking during the first of the ministry’s webinar series titled Elder Abuse, Detection and Prevention during the covid19 pandemic and beyond, Cox said the ministry is resolute in its intent to bring awareness to and aid in the prevention of older persons abuse in all its forms.

“The Division of Aging will continue to partner with the Health Ministry to both set standards for and assist in the management of homes for the aged, to ensure that a high-quality standard of care for our older people is maintained. Additionally, it is the ministry’s intention to complete work on the Homes for Older Persons Act, as well as the National Policy on Older Persons by the end of this year, so that there is consistency in the treatment of older folk across the board.

"I encourage individuals, families, and all citizens to be vigilant during this stay-at-home period when people may be anxious and inclined to impatience, to note and report the signs of elder abuse in our homes and communities.”

She said the Division of Aging in TT Older Persons Information Centre hotline is available to report incidences of abuse, mistreatment and neglect. These can be reported anonymously at 800-OPIC (6742) or via email at opic@social.gov.tt.

Cox said she was aware that caretaker burnout was often a factor in the mistreatment of older people. She urged them to seek help before burnout occurred, especially now when many family members were staying away from their elderly loved ones to keep them safe during the pandemic.

Permanent Secretary Jacinta Bailey-Sobers said the ministry was aware that the elderly are a particularly vulnerable group to the effects of covid19, and so priority needed to be placed on encouraging further research, engaging stakeholders for policy development, and highlighting support mechanisms in an effort to promote a safe living environment and better quality of life for older people.

“Of the 174 reports of alleged elder abuse, 127 occurred in private residences, as opposed to 29 at older people homes. Of these cases, neglect was the leading type of abuse, followed by financial, physical, and finally occurrences categorised as verbal, emotional, and psychological abuse.”

“There are several important actions which can be taken to prevent elder abuse, including being aware of the different types of elder abuse, educating oneself and others on recognising and how to report this, listening to older adults and their caregivers to understand their challenges and provide support, empowering older people to resist elder abuse, checking in often on older adults while maintaining your covid19 protocols, obeying the national directives associated with the state of emergency, supporting overburdened caregivers by assisting them with running errands and safely keeping in touch with elders while the caregivers are away, assisting friends, family, or local relief care groups in sourcing assistance for older people, encouraging or assisting people who are experiencing various challenges to seek help if they are unable to cope.”

Tobago not immune

Anthea Clarke of the Tobago Division of Health and Wellness said the island was not immune to the ills of elder abuse.

“The erosion of bonds between families has increased. The new trend of migration of couples out of homes has contributed to an eroded family structure, leaving the elderly exposed to financial exploitation, critical harm, and other horrific forms of abuse.”

UK adult health and social care advocate Jackie Marshall-Cyrus said elder abuse was a problem worldwide. She said while the markets for elderly people were emerging in the UK in the form of independent living, assisted living, the longevity market and the ageing market, elder care was a major issue.

She said the language and terminology used in talking about elder abuse masked the severity of the issue.

“Calling an incident physical abuse instead of assault, or actual bodily harm lessens its impact and importance, calling something financial abuse instead of theft or fraud implies that it falls outside the criminal justice process, and it becomes even easier to marginalise the impact if you refer to it as poor practice in service provision and a serious incident in a hospital or institutional environment.”

Marshall-Cyrus said the thinking around solving the issue of elder abuse remained lacklustre and apathetic.

“The sexy issues of dementia, chronic conditions, telecare and telemedicine, attract far greater levels of attention, research and investment than the unsavoury matters that affect people’s qualities of life.

My mantra is reality eats strategy for breakfast. In the fight to suppress the abuse of older adults, our armoury remains poorly equipped, and we continue to rely heavily on legislation, regulation and standards. The Internet of Things, surveillance strategies, digital witnessing reforms, mainstream devices – smartphones, webcams and cameras – are the tools currently in play.

In terms of social innovation, the effort is led by third sector organisations focused on abuse of older adults becoming louder and more influential, but there still needs to be greater debate and response around the topic nationally.”

The webinar series continues on July 22, 23, and 30. The video of the presentation and discussion can be found on the Ministry’s Facebook page.