EUROPE: Neglect and abuse of older people is widespread

AGE calls for EU Strategy to combat elder abuse and ensure quality long term care for the elderly BRUSSELS, Belgium (AGE), March 17, 2008: At a conference organised by the European Commission on Protecting the dignity of older persons the prevention of elder abuse and neglect on March 17, AGE called on Commissioner Spidla and the Member States to adopt an EU Strategy to prevent elder abuse and promote quality long term care services for the elderly. A year ago, Commissioner Spidla, you promised AGE General Assembly to do something to prevent elder abuse and you have kept your promise. On behalf of AGE members I would like to thank you, but the work is not over, it is only starting , said Anne-Sophie Parent, Director of AGE at the closing panel of the conference. The high level of participants and the presence of several ministers at the conference on elder abuse confirmed what the recent Eurobarometer showed, i.e. that elder abuse is a serious concern for a majority of citizens across the EU and the EU should take action. We recommend to the Commission to use the discussion paper presented to the conference and turn each of the proposed actions into a real commitment. The Commission should propose to launch a European Strategy to combat elder abuse and ensure quality care for the elderly, added Parent. This would link perfectly with what Minister Larsson of Sweden proposed on behalf of the next Presidency trio. AGE feels that the issue of quality elder care and the fight against elder abuse should be an integral part of the renewed Social Agenda and should be addressed in the framework of EU Demography cycle. AGE, the European Older People's Platform, is a European network of organisations of people aged 50+ and represents over 22 million older people in Europe, says a press note from the organisation. AGE aims to voice and promote the interests of the 150 million inhabitants aged 50+ in the European Union and to raise awareness of the issues that concern them most. (Internet www.age-platform.org) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BRUSSELS, Belgium (Xinhua - chinaview), March 17, 2008: Older people in Europe are vulnerable to poor treatment, neglect and abuse, reveals a survey presented by the European Commission on March 17. Almost half of people across the European Union (EU) consider the phenomenon to be widespread in their country, according to the survey, results of which were released to coincide a high-level EU conference in Brussels on this issue. "Each of us faces the possibility of becoming dependent on the help of others when we get older, and currently we cannot be sure that we will be treated with dignity," said EU Social Affairs Commissioner Vladimir Spidla. "Member states are starting to support the carers and relatives better through training and guidance. They have started to protect the elderly by creating support groups and telephone hotlines and are creating transparent and patient-oriented monitoring systems for the quality of long-term care. I welcome this and at the same time much more needs to be done all across Europe." As Europeans live longer, the share of the EU population aged over 80 is due to increase three- or four-fold to 12 percent by 2050. More and more people will depend on the care of relatives or professional carers and be vulnerable to neglect or even abuse, said the European Commission. Editor: An Lu Copyright © 2003 Xinhua News Agency.