Call for safeguarding legislation to protect vulnerable adults

“Granny dumping” in nursing homes, pilfering from pensions, and lack of clear obligation on the State to protect vulnerable adults are among the reasons adult safeguarding legislation was needed, an Oireachtas committee heard.

There was also a need for vulnerable adults to have access to an independent advocate and for regulation of home care packages.

The discussion on adult safeguarding took place as the joint committee on health met to scrutinise the provisions of Independent Senator Colette Kelleher’s Adult Safeguarding Bill 2017, against an estimate — by UCD’s Dr Amanda Phelan — of 32,000 older people being abused in the last 12 months.