Madam, – Pamela Duncan’s report on the National Study of Elder Abuse and Neglect (Home News, November 9th) was useful in creating awareness of the potential abuse vulnerable older persons in our community may face. Often family members find themselves in a caring role not of their choosing, and with limited support or training must care for a dependent relative. The Health Service Executive’s elder abuse service is essentially provided by 32 specially trained social workers in the protection of older persons who respond to allegations of abuse.
Unlike in child protection, it is generally the decision of the abused older person as to what action should be taken. The social worker will try to put additional services in place in the family home and also offer support to the abusing family member. But it is an important fact to stress that it is not just older persons who can experience abuse, but also vulnerable adults at any age who may have a learning or mental health difficulty. The absence of fully functioning multidisciplinary primary care teams is a significant deficit in meeting the needs of such vulnerable adults. – Yours, etc,