Police asked to watch for elder abuse

Fears that vulnerable elderly people are being abused in their own homes have prompted social workers to "flag" some households with police.

Age Concern spokeswoman Sue Harrod, who co-ordinates the elder abuse and neglect prevention service in the Wellington region, said there was an increasing trend for children and grandchildren to move in with grandparents to "save money".

"Older people are reluctant to complain, but this can be very stressful for them, dealing with loud noise late at night, and drinking ... At the extreme end, we're seeing emotional and physical abuse."

Neighbours of one elderly woman, whose grown-up grandchildren had recently taken up residence with her, were disturbed to hear loud arguments.

The older woman always had some explanation for the bruises that began appearing on her face and arms.

Because the woman refused to lay a complaint, Mrs Harrod said her only option was to ask police to keep an eye on the place. "We've asked police to flag certain properties so if there is a call about noise, they know to check on the older person, whom we believe could be at risk."

Age Concern is pushing for the Domestic Violence Act to be amended to include specific protections for elderly people.

In another case, an elderly woman was being terrorised by her grandson, a gang member, who had been paroled to her home. He was later sent back to prison, but not before inviting his cousin – a gang prospect – to move in.

Financial abuse was a more insidious problem, Mrs Harrod said. "You have families who are struggling themselves, and see gran as an easy source of cash because she has a freehold house and some savings ... it's distressing to me to see adult children teaching their children to exploit grandma."

Age Concern national elder abuse adviser Jayne McKendry said financial exploitation of elderly people – often by their own families or dodgy tradespeople – had increased during the recession.

Reports of financial abuse had jumped 11 per cent this year.

"People are desperate for money and looking for easy targets. We've got many cases of adult children moving in with their parents without paying board."

Elder abuse often went unrecognised because it fell outside the accepted definition, she said.

"For instance, there are lots of fraudulent tradespeople who target elderly people, but this kind of exploitation doesn't get counted because it doesn't happen within a relationship where there's an expectation of trust."

Suspected abuse and neglect cases have risen by a third in three years with 1500 notifications of suspected abuse and neglect nationwide last year.

Ms McKendry said "ageism" – denying people their rights on the basis of their age – was the root cause of all elder abuse.

"It's ageism that makes adult children think `Mum doesn't need that money', or leads rest homes to limit residents to just one incontinence product per resident per day, so people sit in soiled pants all day."

CHEATING  CARERS:

OCTOBER 6: A 29-year-old man appears in Christchurch District Court charged with ripping off elderly clients on his former "meals on wheels" delivery route. The man, who also impersonated a police officer, conned his elderly victims out of their eftpos cards and pin numbers, netting about $20,000.

SEPTEMBER: Porirua caregiver Alofa Leota gets six months' home detention for stealing more than $33,000 from an elderly cancer patient by using his eftpos card.

JUNE: Auckland caregiver Bronwyn Smith, 43, is charged with fleecing an 89-year-old client of $5000 cash using an eftpos card.

JULY 2008: Manukau caregiver Laurel Edmonds, 38, is sentenced to six months' home detention after stealing $7000 from an intellectually-disabled client.

JANUARY 2008: Christchurch caregiver Philip Newsome, 58, is convicted of taking $36,000 from a severely disabled client over eight years. Jailed for 22 months.

JUNE 2006: Wellington caregiver Kathleen Brooking, 70, is jailed for two years for defrauding an elderly and disabled employer of $45,000.

AUGUST 2006: Wellington caregiver Karen Lisa Pedersen, 35, admits taking more than $40,000 from an elderly car crash victim.

- © Fairfax NZ News