As many as 20,000 elderly people living in the community could be suffering some form of abuse, according to a new report, which recommends a framework of services to help tackle the problem.
A report by the Working Group on Elder Abuse (WGEA) says abuse of elderly people must be placed in the wider context of health and social care services for older people in the community.
It recommends the implementation of the current Government policy on health and social care for older people and the setting up of a National Centre for research and training.
The report was launched yesterday by Mr Ivor Callely, the Minister for Services for Older People.
The WGEA was set up after the publication in 1998 of a report by the National Council on Ageing and Older People. The role of the WGEA is to advise the Minister for Health on the issue.
Prof Desmond O'Neill, chairman of the working group, said yesterday that the report was a template.
"Elder abuse is much more complex than child abuse because, unless the person has impaired capacity, they must give consent like any other adult," Prof O'Neill said. He said there were several areas of abuse, but the three most common were psychological, financial and neglect.
Between 12,000 and 20,000 people in the State, who are living in the community, may be abused, neglected and/or maltreated. Prof O'Neill stressed that these figures underestimated the size of the problem because they had no figures for abuse in institutions.
The report says there is no satisfactory framework for providing services for older people and this prevents the development of a standardised approach.
"There are currently significant gaps in the provision of services in both community and extended care," the report states. The aim, it says, is to formulate a clear policy on elder abuse and implement it at all levels within the health, social and protection services.
The report recommends a staff structure which would comprise a steering group in each health board area, a half-time dedicated health board officer with responsibility for elder abuse, a senior case-worker in each community care area, and secretarial support.
To implement the recommendations, the report suggests a dedicated budget in the region of €4 million a year be set aside for the provision of staff and services. The National Centre would cost €250,000 a year.
Prof O'Neill said: "The law does not figure primarily and this surprises some people but it is not a legal issue, it is a health and social issue."
The report does cover certain areas of legislation and calls for laws to provide for Garda access where there is a concern that elder abuse is taking place.
It also wants changes to be made to the ward of court system, said by Prof O'Neill to be out-dated. It also seeks a re-evaluation of the Enduring Power of Attorney system.
The report says financial abuse is a widespread concern. It recommends that national and regional education and awareness programmes be developed by the Irish Bankers' Federation, the Department of Social and Family affairs, An Garda Síochána, the health boards and older people's organisations, in association with the National Implementation Group.
Prof O'Neill said the reality was that the recommendations would take five years to implement.
Yesterday, Age Action Ireland, which campaigns for services for the elderly, welcomed the report.