Age Action is committed to raising awareness about the implications of an ageing society and the necessity to put in place legislation and policies to safeguard the status of older people. A central feature of this work involves addressing the issue of elder abuse.
Elder abuse is defined as “a single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person or violates their human and civil rights.” (Protecting Our Future, Report of the Working Group on Elder Abuse, 2002).
There are a number of types of elder abuse, including physical abuse, financial or material abuse, psychological abuse, neglect and acts of omission, sexual abuse and discriminatory abuse.
Our projects
We have undertaken a wide variety of projects on this important issue over the last number of years, including:
Research Reports on Elder Abuse
In 2011 we conducted research on older people's understanding of the issue of elder abuse.
Concerned about elder abuse?
If you are concerned about a suspected case of elder abuse please call the HSE helpline on 1850 24 1850 (Monday to Saturday – 8am to 8pm).
For further information please consult the HSE’s website on elder abuse.
