Elder Abuse Awareness Day 15 June 2022
Published: 14th Jun 2022
On the 15th of June is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day to raise awareness of elder abuse, a very serious issue that affects almost all older people at some point in their lives.
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day looks to provide an opportunity for communities around the world to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons by raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect.
Last year 1 in 6 older people suffered some form of abuse with as many as 2 out of every 3 older people with dementia being abused.
Staggeringly only 4% of all abuse gets reported and often older people suffer in silence, not wanting to get their abuser into trouble
Elder abuse doesn’t only happen to very frail or sick people, it can happen to any older person in any environment, sadly it can happen at home and even in medical or care settings.
The Birminghams Safeguarding Adults Board are supporting Age UK Birmingham and Sandwell to take a stand against all forms of abuse, we encourage and support older people to find their voice and speak out.
Age Uk support people through their information and advice services, wellbeing activities and dementia support services to so they can make most of later life, maximise their income to find appropriate services and support to meet their needs and of course offer compassion and empathy to everyone we support.
In the coming days, there will be raising awareness about elder abuse and fund-raising by Age Uk to enable them do even more to support local older people.
Keep an eye out on Age Uk Birmingham's website and social media in the coming weeks to find out how you can support their valuable work.
We encourage everyone to become more aware of the types of abuse suffered by older people, speak out if you feel something is wrong or if you suspect abuse is taking place, seek the appropriate support from organisations like Age UK Birmingham and Sandwell who can offer help and guidance.