Alarm raised over violence against the aged

Between five and ten per cent of elderly people have been victims of violence, according to the largest Swiss organisation for the aged.

Pro Senectute says verbal and physical abuse of the elderly is a taboo subject which society can no longer afford to ignore.

At a news conference in Zurich this week, the foundation called for increased public awareness of the issue and the creation of a body to investigate complaints.

Elderly people in care are especially vulnerable, it said.

The Austrian Sociologist Josef Hörl spoke of the problem of “hidden violence” against the aged. He said abuse often takes place in a domestic environment where it is seen as a private matter.

Psychologist Mariana Kranich said the majority of elderly people in need of care lived with their families.

Family members often underestimated the burden of taking care of the elderly and the strain of looking after them could result in violence.

Violence could in some cases be seen as an attempt to regain control over a situation, she said.

The participants in the congress agreed that violence against the aged could no longer be ignored.

Non-violent abuse

Angeline Fankhauser, vice-president of the Swiss association against abuse in old age, Alter Ego, said the cantons had to act.

“There is a need for a systematic education of all carers to ensure that intervention does not come too late,” she said.

Violence can take many different forms and can occur both in public as well as in private. Not just physical abuse but also verbal aggression and threats could be categorized as violence, the experts said.

Common forms of abuse included neglect, the withholding of financial and other support, as well as the humiliation and exploitation of the elderly.

This type of treatment affected the victim physically as well as psychologically and could injure their integrity, the speakers said.

swissinfo with agencies