Beating psychological abuse

Our services see hundreds of cases of psychological abuse every year. 

Abuse like:

"I won't let you see your grandchildren unless you give me that money."

"I'll give something to whinge about if I find you in my kitchen again." 

"You obviously don't love me if you won't take out a mortgage to let me set up my business."

Abuse like this destroys trust, cuts at a person's feelings of self worth, reduces their ability to function normally and damages their health. It is often referred to as psychological abuse.

"We must stop it happening. Older people are entitled to the same rights and respect as any other person," Age Concern New Zealand's national coordinator for EANP services Louise Collins says.

Elder Abuse and Neglect Prevention Services throughout New Zealand receive thousands of calls each year alerting them to possible elder abuse. We know from international research that this represents only a very small percentage of the elder abuse that is occurring.

Statistics gathered from our services show that over 60% of confirmed cases of abuse include psychological abuse. As shown in the quotes above, this is often accompanied by other types of abuse such as stealing an older person's money or possessions, or physical violence.

Comment

Age Concern New Zealand is committed to eliminating ageist attitudes that demean older people and lead to abuse. 

"Respect is the key to combating ageist attitudes such as those expressed at the beginning of this article", says Louise Collins. "By promoting respect of older people, we can work towards eliminating elder abuse and creating a better society for all".