The sexual violence awareness campaign, Always Here, has been launched to provide survivors in Ireland with information on supports, safety planning, and available services.
In 2014, almost 300 elder abuse cases were reported to the HSE, with over half of the abuse carried out by adult children of the victims. Only 12% of these cases involved physical abuse, with the remainder involving financial or psychological abuse or neglect. For confidential assistance, please call 1800-844-104 or email [email protected]. You can also visit us at our 84 Talbot Street, Dublin 1, Ireland office.
In 2014, almost 300 elder abuse cases were reported to the HSE, with over half of the abuse carried out by adult children of the victims. Only 12% of these cases involved physical abuse, with the remainder involving financial or psychological abuse or neglect. With the recently released HIQA report into various care centres for the intellectually disabled, more incidents of abuse and lack of staff training have come to light in care centres such as the Rosanna Gardens facility, which is run by Sunbeam House Services facility in County Wicklow and the privately funded Peamount Healthcare facilities.
A single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action occurring within any relationship where there is the expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person or violates human and civil rights.
A HIQA report (2007) offers some theories for elder abuse, including:
Older people, children or vulnerable adults may not wish to disclose information regarding abuse for the following reasons:
The legislation explicitly dealing with elder abuse doesn’t exist in Ireland. However, various laws in the following categories may be used to address the issue:
If you are concerned about abuse, you must contact your GP, a public health nurse, or any healthcare worker. The HSE has produced a booklet called ‘Open Your Eyes: protect yourself from elder abuse’ which can be accessed by following the link below: http://www.hse.ie/elderabuse. Care Home Abuse or Nursing Home Abuse can happen anywhere that care is provided for children, the elderly or people with disabilities, such as nursing homes, rehabilitation centres, respite centres, group homes, and daycare centres.
Many victims of care home abuse or elderly abuse may not be able to speak out against their abusers and may be subject to both mental anguish and physical injury as a result of abuse at care homes or nursing home neglect. Care Home Neglect or Nursing Home Neglect or Abuse can be a cause of both mental and physical distress and suffering for the patient and can include, but is not limited to:
The Health Act 2007 changed how residential care settings for older people are inspected and registered. Before the Act, only nursing homes operated by private and voluntary providers were inspected by the Health Service Executive (HSE). The Office of the Ombudsman published a report to the Dáil and Seanad in November 2010 in accordance with Section 6(7) of the Ombudsman Act 1980 called “WHO CARES?
An Investigation into the Right to Nursing Home Care in Ireland”. This report was based on over 1,000 individual complaints made since 1985 on behalf of older people who could not get long-term nursing home care from the HSE and had to avail of private nursing home care in Ireland. The Health Information and Quality Authority published National Quality Standards for Residential Care Settings for Older People in Ireland in February 2009, which set out the standards all residential care homes and nursing homes for the elderly should adhere to.
The National Standards for Residential Services stated that it would make sure that people living in residential services
The National Standards for Residential Services
A Residential Service can be
At Coleman Legal LLP, we understand the difficulties a person may have in discussing abuse, and we appreciate the fear and anxiety they may have in making a claim. We assure you that we deal with every victim with the utmost sensitivity and confidentiality and pursue each case urgently and professionally.
Solicitors
84 Talbot Street, Dublin 1
D01 YX60
Free Phone: 1800-844-104
Fax: (01) 5312727
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.colemanlegalpartners.ie
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