HEALTH MATTERS 99 elderly care
Senior Case Worker role in responding to elderly abuse
Most older people don’t experience abuse but a minority do. Elder abuse can be physical, sexual, financial, psychological or take the form of discrimination or neglect. Frances Clifford, Senior Case Worker in Sligo-Leitrim, outlines the nature of her work and provides an insight into the reality of responding to elder abuse in Ireland.
One of the key elements of the Senior Case Worker’s role is to manage and co-ordinate the response of the HSE to allegations of elder abuse. We work in co-operation with the various other professionals involved with older people (public health nursing, GPs, home helps, mental health services, hospitals and Gardaí) and this collaborative working reflects our shared duty of care to respond where there may be abuse. Each report of elder abuse and each
client’s circumstances are different and, therefore, our responses to cases vary. Many factors will influence this, including the views and wishes of the older person, their capacity to make decisions, the seriousness of the case, or the question of whether some degree of criminality could be involved and the risk of further abuse. Often the issues we are encountering are longstanding and have their origins in disputes over land, money or inheritance. The older person may be reluctant to take any immediate action, particularly against a close relative. Much of our work in these circumstances is aimed at supporting the older person and empowering them to make decisions for themselves. Cases relating to financial abuse present particular challenges. An important part of the role of Senior Case Worker in these cases is assessing the needs and wishes of the older person and advocating on their behalf to achieve these wishes.
Cases of couples who have historic
patterns of abusive behaviour (commonly in association with addiction problems) which continues into older age are, of course, disturbing. Effecting change in these cases involves building relationships
and establishing trust with the older person, which understandably can be a lengthy process. The aim of our work is not about righting
a wrong done, or establishing if a crime has been committed. The focus must be on responding to the wishes and needs of the older person and working with them and their family to resolve the issue. The older person invariably wants the abuse to stop but wishes their relationship with the abuser to continue. They do not want retribution but an end to the abuse and maintenance of the relationship. Older people deserve to be treated with the respect that their lives
WORLD ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS DAY
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15th
sees the launch of the HSE elder
abuse public awareness campaign ‘Open Your Eyes’. This year’s campaign comprises of a number of different elements. In addition to radio advertisements and information leaflets, the HSE will also see the launch of an awareness-raising DVD, which will highlight the issue of elder abuse in community settings. This follows the success of a training DVD for residential settings, Recognising and Responding to Allegations of Elder Abuse, which was produced and distributed to all residential care settings for older people in 2008. It is hoped that the community-focused DVD will raise awareness of the issue of elder abuse among the general public. In 2009, almost 2,000 referrals were
received by Senior Case Workers (SCW) nationally – 62 per cent of those referred are female. The abuse types most commonly reported are psychological, financial, neglect and physical abuse. Very often, the alleged perpetrators are family members, usually son/daughter, and more often that not they live with the older person. For further information on the new community-focused DVD, contact one of the following Dedicated Officers for Elder Abuse: HSE West:
bridget.mcdaid@
hse.ie HSE Dublin Mid-Leinster:
sarah.marsh@
hse.ie HSE South:
con.pierce@hse.ie Further details on elder abuse developments and staff contact details can be found on the HSE website
www.hse.ie – Go to Find a Service then Older People and Elder Abuse.
and achievements warrant. It is crucial that we all maintain vigilance on this issue. In this context, a new community focused DVD will play an important role.
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