SEEING the elderly only as a burden “is ugly; it’s a sin,” Pope Francis said in 2015.
His words rang true on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day yesterday on June 15.
“We must reawaken our collective sense of gratitude, appreciation and hospitality, helping the elderly know they are a living part of their communities” and sources of wisdom for the younger generations, Pope Francis said.
Centacare Family and Relationship Services director Di Swan said like family violence, elder abuse is about one person having power and control over another person.
“Older people may experience abuse in a range of settings including in their own home and relationship, from an unpaid carer such as a family member, friend or neighbour or within an institutional setting,” she said.
“Elder abuse is any act within a relationship of trust which results in harm to an older person.
“The abuse can be emotional, psychological, financial, physical or sexual abuse, or can take the form of neglect.”
Elder abuse can include the following:
- frightening the person by threatening to hurt their pet or break their belongings
- intimidation, humiliation or harassment
- threatening to evict or put the person into care
- stopping the person from seeing family or friends
- denying the person the right to make their own decisions
- pension skimming
- selling the person’s belongings without permission
- misusing an Enduring Power of Attorney by taking money or property improperly
- forcing the person to change their will
- denying the person access or control of their own funds
- blocking access to services and support
- neglecting the person’s physical, medical or emotional needs
- slapping, hitting, pushing or restraining
- making unwanted sexual approaches or behaving indecently.
Pope Francis said the young were often tempted to ignore old age “as if it were an illness to hold at bay”.
“But when we become old, especially if we are poor, sick and alone, we experience the failures of a society programmed for efficiency, which consequently ignores the elderly,” he said.
“We want to remove our growing fear of weakness and vulnerability, but doing so we increase the anguish of the elderly.”
The aged are the “reserve of the wisdom of our people,” he said.
They have experienced and survived the struggles to raise a family and provide them with a dignified life, he said.
Tossing them aside means tossing aside their experience and the way that experience can contribute to making life better today.
