The Observer | UK News | Elderly suffer most abuse in their homes

The Observer UK News Elderly suffer most abuse in their homes

They are elderly, and they are the most vulnerable members of society. This time the report is not about abuse in the USA but a report that is about to be released in the UK. This is a report that indicates that in the UK the elderly are subject to abuse from members of their own family and in their own homes. The abusers can also be social workers who have come into the home to perform some sort of service. Sometimes the abuse relates to neglect such as not making sure that the elderly person has food. In other cases it involves sexual abuse. Some of these cases have occurred in Britain's nursing homes.

Just as there is shame about sexual abuse of younger family members, there is also a stigma of shame attached to sexual abuse of the elderly. The number of reports and successful prosecutions against the perpetrators of this form of abuse has remained low. This is a problem that needs to be aired, put into the eye of the public so that the elderly are no longer afraid of their abusers.