Thousands of old folk are being abused by the very people who should be caring for them. The Sun believes this shameful mistreatment needs to be highlighted because they deserve the best and most considerate attention. 

The cases here are just the tip of the iceberg. As a 91-year-old Alzheimer’s sufferer with bowel cancer, Dorothy Blackmore needed her care workers to be there for her every need. Instead they offered only hatred, and assaulted her. Last week Njilo Mandowa, 41, and Joy Onyekwulje, 35, were jailed for three months for common assault and battery on Dorothy, from South London. At any time it is estimated that HALF A MILLION older people in Britain could be being abused. A Government-backed report last month showed that of all abuse directed at adults well over half is targeted at vulnerable older people. 

To add insult to injury, the Healthcare Commission last week accused hospitals of stripping pensioners of dignity. We asked you to tell us about your experiences of care for the elderly — and received a deluge of calls from angry sons and daughters revealing the nightmares their parents have endured from so-called carers. Some of the images we are publishing today of battered and bruised pensioners are truly disturbing. But we must bring this shame out in to the open. 


The conviction of attackers is a rarity, as the Crown Prosecution Service are normally reluctant to go to court when the main witness is a frail pensioner unable to communicate clearly on the witness stand. The pressure group Action On Elder Abuse want the Government to give the mistreatment of the elderly the same priority as child abuse and domestic violence. Chief executive Gary Fitzgerald, said: “Society has to wake up. Some of our most vulnerable members — those who look to us for care, support, dignity and respect — are undergoing experiences which are abusive, often criminal and which must be stopped.”

Frank Ursell, chief of The Registered Nursing Home Association, said: “We share the concern of The Sun over the numbers of older people being abused. “Our older people deserve better than to end their lives in fear. “We recognise that, while most abuse continues to occur at home, there is still too much taking place in care home settings. We add our weight to the call by Action On Elder Abuse to remove abuse from all settings, for better training of staff and for the creation of a no-tolerance approach to abuse of older people.” If you are concerned about the treatment of an elderly relative, call Action On Elder Abuse on 080 8808 8141.

Bruises ... Mary
Frail Alzheimer’s sufferer Mary was found to have this horrific bruising. Her daughter, Carole Barnard, 69, from Waltham Abbey, Essex, placed Mary into a North London care home about five years ago. Everything seemed fine until last February, when Mary’s sister uncovered the appalling marks on her torso. Carole said: “I couldn’t believe how bad it was. I was very upset.” At first Carole was told by the private home that the bruises could have been caused by the aspirin Mary was taking. Then they claimed she had fallen out of bed. Sun doctor Carol Cooper, who has studied the photographs of Mary’s bruises, believes: “There has almost certainly been some kind of injury.” 

Frail ... care home is being investigated
The home is now being investigated by the local council’s Adult Protection Team. Inspections by the Commission for Social Care Inspection have revealed failures to meet minimum standards of care in the past. Last July the CSCI told the home to report all injuries after one resident was found to be bruised. A spokesman for the local council said: “Pending the outcome of the investigation we have stopped any further admissions to the home.”