Filenews 15 June 2021 - byDespina Psyllaou
Victims of verbal, psychological and physical abuse as well as extortion and neglect are suffered by the elderly people of Cyprus. In some cases the elderly are asked to offer part of their pension to see their grandchildren, threatened with deprivation of a ride, treated with indifference or even abused.
These incidents as well as the absence of protective policies, the President of the Third Age Observatory, Municipality of Antonios and the Chairman of the Coordinating Body of the House of Elders, Elias Demetriou, told "F". The World Day of Information on the Abuse of the Elderly, which is celebrated every year on 15 June.
"Most incidents of abuse and violence occur in their own home, either by their domestic helpers or by their children or other relatives," noted the Municipality of Antoniou. For example, he said, we are aware of cases where children were substance users and were trying in every way to secure the money for their dose. In such a case there had also been murder against an elderly parent. "We are aware of other tragic cases, such as an elderly woman who was tied up and abandoned, resulting in her being left in hospital."
It's not just physical violence but also verbal, psychological, economic, Mr. Antoniou said. "There are many of these cases. There is blackmail by the children that if they don't receive part of the pension they won't take them to see their grandchildren. Or they're intimidated into staying locked up in the house and not going for a walk. It is not easy for older people to react and often they cannot, especially if they have an ailment. Some are being exploited tremendously. We were told of a case where an elderly man passed away and when relatives opened his house they found that all his pills were thrown in the loft. The housekeeper who was looking after him wasn't giving these to him and his condition was getting worse at a time when doctors thought he was being treated.'
The state, Mr Antoniou stressed, must act and implement programmes to prevent and combat elder abuse, both in homes and carehomes. "There are solutions. It's the red button for seniors, which has been on the cards for many months," he noted and recalled that it's a 24-hour paging system that older people can have somewhere about their person. In addition, he said, a team can be set up by the police, Social Welfare Services, the Observatory, psychologists and other bodies, which will carry out checks on closed homes for seniors." He also said the state needed to raise public awareness of abuse and neglect.
Inactivated the competent control committee
The lack of control over the structures for the elderly, the Chairman of the Coordinating Body of the House of Elders, Elias Demetriou, told "F". "The Housing for the Elderly and Disabled Regulations of 2000 provided for the establishment of a seven-member committee to monitor and supervise the premises concerned. Unfortunately, in the last five years or so, this committee has been inactive. This means that there is no control and that they may no longer meet the specifications. Legislation must be implemented and committees should work", he stressed and added that it is necessary for the relevant bodies to adopt policies to prevent the abuse of the elderly and to promote their rights.
Mr Demetriou also said that incidents of violence against elderly people are also occurring in Cyprus. Often, he said, they are informed of mistreatment of elderly people by people who work in homes as domestic workers. "In some cases, even abuse was reported. They had hit elderly people and their families had realised it. In one particular case, they placed cameras and found that the carer was being violent to an elderly man."
However, Mr Demetriou noted that the abuse is not only about violence but also about neglect. "We receive complaints of indifference to the elderly, who need love and care. That is why we urge society as much as it can to look after its elderly and not "leave" them at the first difficulty in the nursing home." As volunteers, he said, they visit elderly people at home and in nursing homes, who report their loneliness. "On one occasion an elderly man had told us that his children had not visited him for two years. We need to be sensitive. The situation worsened during the pandemic and internment, when elderly people were completely isolated either at home or in a nursing home."
