Claiming compensation for elder abuse
Elder Abuse (the abuse of elderly people) is a growing problem in today’s society. As we live longer the world population is aging, with an increasingly large percentage of people being classed as ‘elderly’.
One of the downsides to ageing is that we become more and more vulnerable as we grow older. A new study, supported by the World Health Organisation and published in the Lancet Global Health, has found that around 1 in 6 older people worldwide experience some form of abuse linked to their age. The research is drawn from evidence gathered in 52 studies across 28 nations, encompassing a range of low, middle and high income populations.
The abuse suffered by the elderly is wide ranging and includes the following types:
- psychological abuse (11.6%);
- financial abuse (6.8%);
- neglect (4.2%);
- physical abuse (2.6%); and
- sexual abuse (0.9%).
These figures are much higher than had been previously thought and indicate the extent of the problem of elder abuse we are now facing in the UK.
On current trends it is expected that by 2050 the number of people in the world aged 60 or over will more than double – rising from 900 million in 2015 to a staggering 2 billion. It is therefore anticipated that problems associated with age related vulnerability and abuse are likely to increase in direct proportion.
Our abuse lawyers are experienced at dealing with compensation claims arising from the abuse of the elderly. This can include claims against institutions as well as individuals and also claims against the government’s Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, all of which can usually be dealt with on a no win, no fee basis.