A dedicated helpline available in France for sending alerts about abuse or risk of abuse, received 36 percent more calls related to abuse of elders and adults with disabilities since the beginning of the year.
According to France Info, this trend has continued since the beginning of 2021 and that the level of calls is still high because of the mistreatment that persists in old age homes and specialised centres.
The report quotes Isabelle Gillet, who is in charge of the 3977 helpline platform, as saying that the Covid-19 crisis has resulted in the increase of abuse in homes too.
"A typical situation is a son or daughter coming to help their parents who are all alone. And at that point, it spills over from all sides, especially when they are confined together.
"It can get very, very heated," Gillet was quoted as saying.
According to a report by the World Health Organization, the prevalence of elder abuse in both the community and in institutions have increased during the Covid-19 pandemic. "A US study, for instance, suggests that rates in the community may have increased by as much as 84 percent," the WHO report states.
June 15 marks World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2021 #WEAAD2021, and it has never been more important to shine a light onto this shameful occurrence. Read our new editorial on what's happening and what needs to change
— The Lancet Healthy Longevity (@LancetLongevity) June 15, 2021
👉https://t.co/kvchFujDsT
It adds that around 1-in-6 elderly people (over 60 years) experienced some form of abuse in community settings during the past year.
It also states that the rates are higher in institutions such as nursing homes and long-term care facilities, with 2-in-3 staff reporting that they have committed abuse over the past year.
The report further states that elder abuse is predicted to increase as many countries are experiencing rapidly ageing populations.
Another study, published in The Lancet in June 2021, states that even before the pandemic, an estimated one-in-six older adults were the victim of abuse worldwide.
It states that risk factors associated with elder abuse such as social isolation, cognitive impairment, physical frailty, and dependence on others for care, have been compounded by Covid-19 restrictions.
