News
DAILY MIRROR REPORTS HIDEOUS NEGLECT OF THE ELDERLY 27 January 2006
The Daily Mirror reports half a million old people are regularly beaten, insulted and abused in this country, following the report from Help the Aged.
One third of that abuse takes place in care homes. Some care. "Don't care," more like.
This shocking disclosure followed hard on the heels of a survey that found thousands of pensioners in homes are subjected to a "chemical cosh".
Government figures given to Paul Burstow, the Lib Dem spokesman on the elderly, exposed the widespread practice of drugging residents with sedatives.
One in four old folk may be sedated in this way - yet eight out of ten of these prescriptions are deemed "inappropriate" by experts.
Naturally, nursing-home chiefs furiously reject the charge, insisting: "If you are running a home you don't want people wandering around in a sleepy state."
Or, indeed, wandering around at all. Far better asleep in a chair. That way they don't need as much attention, which is expensive.
There are 350,000 elderly people in homes, the vast majority in the private sector. This is big business. No doubt many of these homes offer perfectly adequate care. But a significant minority do not.
A Daily Mirror investigation found cases like Honora Derham, 82, who died in agony after staff failed to notice the bed sores slowly rotting her body away.
And Dorothy Lyons, 76 - so neglected she weighed 3st 9lbs when she died in a care home.
We have four Child Commissioners and a Minister for Women, unpaid. But there is no commissioner for the elderly at risk. And no minister for old people. They come under the Department of Work and Pensions: of pensions, note, not pensioners. This ministry is about money, not people.
Yet abuse of the elderly is more prevalent than child abuse. Unfortunately, it is not so glamorous.
But it is society's last great hidden scandal. Help the Aged and campaign group Action on Elder Abuse are fighting for action on this issue. More power to them.
