Elderly victims of human rights abuse, warns commission

THE Irish Human Rights Commission has warned that some of the worst human rights abuses in Irish society are found in the treatment of older people in long-term residential care.

Serious concern about the treatment of the elderly was also voiced by the Equality Authority and the Ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly, yesterday at a conference on the rights and entitlements of older people organised by Age Action Ireland.

The president of the IHRC, Maurice Manning, said the Commission was aware since its establishment in 2001 that older people were one of the most vulnerable sectors of society in terms of human rights.