Despite the increased vigilance towards the risks of exploitation and abuse of vulnerable individuals in society, campaigns against elder abuse struggle to gain attention. Elder abuse is a widespread issue, with 3,412 complaints received by the HSE in 2020, primarily involving psychological abuse and coercive control. However, these figures only represent a fraction of the problem, as they do not cover abuses occurring in private nursing homes, hospitals, homeless units, or addiction centers.
In January 2020, allegations of abusive staff, substandard hygiene, and unexplained injuries in Irish nursing homes highlighted the need for increased scrutiny in these institutions. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted focus away from addressing this issue.
It is concerning that Ireland does not have specific safeguarding laws for adults, especially considering the vulnerable position of elderly individuals. While the quality of care for children is recognized as a critical social issue, care for the elderly is often seen as a management problem rather than a community concern.
The lack of support and social isolation place older individuals at a higher risk of abuse, particularly those with dementia or over the age of 80. It is said that one can judge the humanity of a society by how it treats its elderly, but this notion only holds true when a society has sufficient resources for everyone. In societies with limited resources, such as traditional hunter-gatherer societies or certain Eastern Asian cultures, the elderly may have been abandoned or subjected to infanticide due to resource scarcity. The fact that many elders in modern Ireland experience relational poverty and neglect or abuse speaks volumes about the allocation of resources in the country.
The Irish population is rapidly aging, placing a burden on the younger generation. Many older people live isolated lives, separated from their children and lifelong friends. This problem is likely to worsen if immediate action is not taken.
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