Opinion | Elder abuse: Our silent shame

With the observance of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on Monday and its theme: “Beyond awareness: Making elder abuse prevention work”, South Africans should be asking themselves: What are we doing to protect the 6,6 million older people (aged 60 and over) in our society?

Elder abuse is often described as a hidden crime because it happens behind closed doors, in families, communities and increasingly through digital devices. But silence protects the perpetrators. Elder abuse is not a private matter, but a public health, human rights and social justice issue.

The World Health Organisation defines elder abuse as “a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person”.

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International trends show that one in six older people experiences a form of elder abuse. A recent study conducted in urban areas in the Western Cape and rural Limpopo found that one in 10 older people is a victim of abuse.

The call to address this becomes even more urgent given that the nature of elder abuse is evolving, with the emergence of cyber-crimes targeting seniors. These include financial scams where so-called lovers deplete funds, and fake charity scams that cash in on older people’s altruism.

There are also deep fakes where scammers present themselves as a loved one or a known service provider, swindling older people out of their money.

Other forms of elder abuse include physical abuse; psychological or emotional abuse (name-calling or swearing); financial or material abuse (theft or fraud); sexual abuse and neglect (failure to care for an older person by failing to ensure they’ve eaten, for example).

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More traditional communities may experience more subtle forms of elder abuse due to the loss of traditional cultural norm of honouring older people.

A study in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal also identified systemic abuse, where budget cuts and limited human resources are used as excuses for failing to provide services to seniors, such as police and social workers not investigating reports of elder abuse, and court outcomes that never materialise.

Added to this is the poor service delivery of many SA municipalities, where vulnerable older people have to cope without electricity during power cuts or without water, amounting to gross human rights violations.

Older people may face a higher risk of abuse if they are part of the LGBTIQA+ community, have reduced mobility, experience physical or mental decline, are socially isolated or living in extended households or inner-city areas.

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They are even more vulnerable if they are female, single, divorced, widowed or financially dependent. The perpetrators of elder abuse are a diverse group: Non-family members, such as neighbours or friends; family members who live in the same household; or service providers in a position of power, such as carers and healthcare workers.

The consequences of elder abuse include physical risks such as cognitive decline, physical injuries and premature death. Victims are often ashamed and lose their dignity. Many report anxiety, fear and having nightmares. Others withdraw from loved ones and social life due to stigma.

What can be done? To begin, carers and students in the helping professions need training in working with older people and in the Older Persons Act 13 (2006) to identify and prevent elder abuse.

Also, welfare groups should run public awareness campaigns, especially in rural areas and where older people are home-bound.

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Financial institutions should offer older people financial literacy training as part of corporate social responsibility programmes. And digital literacy programmes should be implemented across the country to enhance digital literacy and protect seniors against cyber-crimes.

Older people or service providers must report elder abuse to the police or social workers, and allegations should be investigated and taken to court if warranted. Additionally, Section 31 of the Older Persons Act makes provision for a register of elder abuse offenders, which must be operational.

If we are serious about building a society that values dignity, justice and human rights, then protecting older people cannot be left to families, it requires action from government, communities, businesses and every citizen.

The way we treat the older generation is a measure of the society we have become, and the society we hope to leave behind for future generations. As Nelson Mandela said: “A society that does not value its older people denies its roots and endangers its future.”

Stephan Geyer is a professor in the Department of Social Work and Criminology atthe University of Pretoria.