On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the Regional Office for Europe of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion of the European Commission held a joint regional symposium on ‘Preventing abuse and neglect of older persons in Europe’ which took place in Brussels on 17-18 June. Over 60 delegates from European Member States, human rights institutions, EU institutions and other international and regional institutions (Council of Europe, OHCHR, WHO, OECD) as well as researchers were invited to discuss the specific issue of abuse and neglect of older people in Europe. The European Social Network (ESN) member Reinhard Pohlmann, Director of Older People's Services in Dortmund, Germany, joined the discussions.
The main aim of the symposium was to look at the issue of abuse and neglect of older people from a human rights perspective and to identify and discuss the relevant international and regional human rights standards. “Our shared objective is to ensure that, until the very end of our lives, all of us can live in dignity, regardless of our social or economic background”, stressed László Andor, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion in the opening of the symposium. Two different studies on elder abuse were presented by the OECD and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. Abuse and neglect of older persons have been highlighted by human rights bodies and other researchers as particularly worrisome, as they can include physical violence, emotional, sexual or financial abuse, situations compromising the dignity of older persons, and neglect and isolation. Michael O’Flaherty presented a report called ’In defence of dignity’ which gave voice to the experiences of service users in residential care homes in Northern Ireland. The report showed how under-staffing and under-resourcing in care homes affects older people. A carer in a residential care home was quoted: “I actually have one of the residents coming up to me; she followed me last night, I told you, she followed me last night and said, ‘I am just following you for I am that lonely’.”
Abuse and neglect are likely to occur in conditions of (at least partial) dependence of older persons on the care or support of others. This can exist either in a formal context, for instance in institutions such as nursing homes, long-term care hospitals or home services in the community, or in an informal context where care is provided in the community by family members or by other informal carers. Abuse and neglect should not be understood only as deliberate wrongdoing committed by individuals with the intention to harm older persons; they should also include systemic abuse or neglect which result from the lack of appropriate services. The delegates agreed on the following points:
- the need to protect older people from abuse and neglect in both institutional and community-based care
- the need to strengthen the rights-based approach in health and social policy planning
- the potential for synergy between a rights-based approach and a social investment perspective.
During the final panel discussion, speakers stressed the importance of an ambitious older persons’ rights agenda, which could be a UN Convention for human rights for older people and/or the implementation of rights of older people in everyday politics to guarantee real change on the ground. The Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing established by the General Assembly of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights will consider the existing human rights international framework. They will identify possible gaps, consider solutions to address them and proof the feasibility of further instruments and measures.
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