Almost 2,000 elder abuse reports a year

Older people’s charities have called for greater action against elder abuse, with figures showing an average of almost 2,000 suspected cases formally reported to health authorities every year.

Age Action warned the figures did not tell the full story. “This is just the tip of the iceberg, with widespread under-reporting being a global feature of elder abuse,” said spokesman Eamon Timmins.

He cited a 2010 report by the HSE’s National Centre for the Protection of Older People, which found that 10,200 older people had been abused in the previous 12 months alone, although just 11,500 formal reports were made over six years.