Elder abuse: concerned charities and MP Paul Burstow to meet Prime Minister

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 14th Jul 2008

A delegation of charities led by campaigner for older people's rights, Paul Burstow MP, will meet the Prime Minister on Wednesday (16th July 2008) to lobby for urgent action to tackle elder abuse in the UK.

The meeting was arranged after Mr Burstow raised elder abuse at Prime Minister Questions. The delegation includes representatives of the Action on Elder Abuse, the Alzheimers Society and the Community and District Nurses Association.

Research has found that 342,000 older people are victims of abuse every year. This does not include those in care homes.

Mr Burstow has waged a parliamentary campaign to raise awareness of elder abuse. He has worked with Action on Elder Abuse, the Alzheimers Society and the Community and District Nurses Association to highlight the mistreatment or abuse of vulnerable adults and particularly people with dementia.

The delegation plan to raise three issues:

• The need for training and awareness;

• The case for a new law to protect vulnerable people (based on legislation already in place in Scotland;

• The need for central and local government to co-ordinate.

Commenting ahead of the meeting Mr Burstow said:

"Its time to attach the same sense of urgency to tackling elder abuse as there is for child abuse and domestic violence.

"The abuse of people either by a professional or relative is usually preventable through proper support, training and ongoing supervision and legal protection.

"What is required now are laws to protect the vulnerable and prosecute the abusers, a national awareness campaign, and a co-ordinated approach right across local and national Government.

"My colleagues at Action on Elder Abuse, the Alzheimers Society and the Community and District Nurses Association and I are looking forward to presenting our concerns to the Prime Minister, and hope that he will take our recommendations seriously".

ENDS

Notes to editors:

• On 11th June 2008, Mr Burstow asked the following Prime Minister's Question:

Q7. [209954] Mr. Paul Burstow (Sutton and Cheam) (LD): Every year 342,000 older people in the country are victims of abuse, including crimes such as intimidation, theft and assault. Tens of thousands of older people with dementia are routinely prescribed unlicensed drugs that keep them sedated and cut their lives short. Will the Prime Minister take action to close the loopholes in the law that allow the victims to go unprotected and the perpetrators to go unpunished, and will he meet me and a delegation to discuss what else needs to be done to tackle elder abuse?

The Prime Minister: I shall be prepared to talk to the hon. Gentleman about this matter. We are about to propose an NHS constitution. Our aim is to guarantee rights to every person who is a patient of the NHS, and I believe that whatever he is revealing about what happens to elderly people can be dealt with as part of the rights in that constitution.

• Those attending the meeting with the Prime Minister on 16th July 2008 are:

o Paul Burstow MP, Liberal Democrat, Sutton and Cheam

o Gary Fitzgerald, Chief Executive, Action on Elder Abuse

o Neil Hunt, Chief Executive of the Alzheimers Society

o Anne Duffy, CEO of the Community and District Nursing Association