The Salvation Army is urging people to be on the lookout for the signs of elder abuse.
It says it's seeing an increase in the number of elderly people suffering financial abuse as well as emotional, physical and spiritual harm.
It comes as research by Hourglass shows that one in six older people in the UK are victims of abuse - 16 per cent of the older population.
Andy Wileman who is Assistant Director of Older People's Service at the Salvation Army has been speaking to Premier about the issue:
“Elder abuse is a growing issue and it’s everybody’s business.
“In the Salvation Army we are really seeking to shine a light on the horrifying realities of elder abuse, and looking to pledge support, raise the profile and find solutions.”
He says elderly people are subject to abuse in many forms:
“Emotional abuse for example, might take the form of belittling or name calling, and treating an older person very disrespectfully. Physical abuse might include hitting or exposure to risk and we’re seeing more in terms of financial abuse – either family members or close friends taking money that they're not entitled to. So inappropriate use of older people's funds and assets for all sorts of reasons. And spiritual abuse, there is that sense of crushing an older person's spirit, and crushing them by cruelty and basically just saying that their spiritual life is of no value or no use.
“The chilling reality is that most elder abuse happens by somebody that the older person knows, either as a family member or a close friend. And from that reality it’s something that's kept within the family and it's not highlighted as an issue in the wider world.”
The United Nations says that between 2019 and 2030, the number of persons aged 60 or over is projected to grow by 3 per cent, from 1 billion to 1.4 billion, globally outnumbering youth. The UN says this will be the greatest and most rapid in the developing world, and says greater attention needs to be paid to the specific challenges affecting older persons, including in the field of human rights.
Andy Wileman wants church communities to have “eyes and ears to what is going on. It’s just being very sensitive and open to the fact that an older person who perhaps might have been a real positive personality suddenly becomes disinterested or unattached, or becomes in some way very distressed. It can take very sinister forms.”
The Salvation Army is holding an online awareness session on the issue on Monday 17 June at 7pm.
More information can be found here : https://www.salvationist.org.uk/faith/our-territory/territorial-directory/older-peoples-ministries