The Government through the Health Service Executive has recently issued a HSE Elder Abuse Policy which is aimed at helping to prevent the abuse of vulnerable older adults either in their homes or in residential institutions.
Elder abuse is defined by the HSE as: ‘A single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person or violates their human and civil rights”.
Elder abuse can take the following forms:
- Psychological abuse
- Neglect and acts of omission
- Financial or material abuse
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Discrimination
Heritage Homecare has its own policy on the Protection of Vulnerable Adults which all of our Carers are required to adhere to. This policy can be downloaded here.
There is also more information of Elder Abuse on the HSE website: http://www.hse.ie/elderabuse/