THE HSE has received over 4,000 referrals of suspected cases of elderly abuse since 2007, but believes the true number is three times that number. Sarah Marsh of the HSE, said she believed there was significant underreporting of elderly abuse cases in the Republic.
“We have seen just over 4,000 referrals since 2007 and if you go by international standards, it should probably be somewhere around three times that figure,” she said at a conference on caring for the elderly at the Royal Hospital Donnybrook in Dublin yesterday.
Ms Marsh said emotional and psychological abuse were the most common forms of abuse referred to the HSE. In 83 per cent of cases, the alleged abuse was perpetrated by a family member, typically a husband, wife, son or daughter, she said. She said despite huge focus on the standard of care at Irish nursing homes over the past decade, just 4 per cent of referrals came from these institutions.
Dr Helen Flint, HSE director of nursing and research, told The Irish Timesthat abuse of the elderly was prevalent in Irish society and in most cases people did not report it to the authorities.
She said the changing demographics of society meant that old people were not treated with the same respect as they used to be.
“Bullying and belittling of old people can be the most distressing type of abuse. It is probably the most pernicious,” said Dr Flint, who added a major education campaign was needed in Irish schools.
She told the conference that psychotropic drugs, which are strong medication commonly used to sedate elderly people, were used too frequently in nursing homes.
She said these drugs often had a negative effect on the life of residents, increased mortality rates and were associated with risk of falls.
She said alternative forms of stimulation often worked better.
The conference, the Dynamics of quality Care, also heard from experts on the psychiatry of old age and end of life care.