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Some related articles : World : Elder Rights : Global Action on Aging
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Protecting the elderly
Many elderly people live in fear of being attacked or robbed but
several schemes across the UK are addressing the problem by breaking down
the barriers between young and old, as a BBC Radio Five Live programme
found. Dorothy Wyatt
is in her late 70s, she's frail and has a heart condition. She was
subjected to a half hour ordeal by a burglar who forced his way into her
home after claiming to be a council official.
"I
thought he was going to strangle me, each time I went to get up he came
over and put his hands over my face and held on so I couldn't breathe. I
tried to kick but what could I do - I had slippers on." "He kept
shouting for more money. I said I haven't any more, if I had it I would
give it to you to get you out. I was so frightened. "When he
took me upstairs, well, I didn't know what to think." An ordeal
like Dorothy's is shocking, but thankfully it is rarer than many believe. The
authorities stress that older people are 18 times less likely to be
attacked than younger people - with single young men the most vulnerable
targets. But there is
a general perception amongst the elderly that they are being targeted and
this is creating a climate of fear. Norman
Gibson, a crime prevention officer with the Police Service of Northern
Ireland believes that fear can be as debilitating as crime itself. He said:
"For each victim we have thousands who make themselves prisoners
unnecessarily because of the coverage of problems." Police and
charities working with older people all offer advice on crime prevention
measures for the elderly, ranging from not keeping large sums of cash at
home, to installing an entry phone or using a door chain.
But Gary
Fitzgerald, chief executive of Action on Elder Abuse, believes such
measures do not address the underlying problem of attitudes to older
people. "It's
about the perception of society. It's about whether or not people are
valued and respected and all too often older people are seen as a burden,
out on a limb." Across the UK
there is an increasing number of schemes which are going some way to
addressing this problem. The Building
Bridges Project, in Belfast, brought together old and young for fun
activities. The children were all pupils with behavioural problems. Their
principal at St Vincent's School, Brian Davey, was astounded by the effect
of the inter-generational exercise. "During
the project we did not have one case of inappropriate behaviour. The kids
were well behaved. "It
created understanding and respect and on the children's part, their self
esteem was raised." The elderly
population is going to increase dramatically. In the next 30 years, a third of the population will be over 65 and more such projects to address misunderstanding and mistrust between the generations are vital to stop increasing numbers of us becoming, victims of age. Copyright
© 2002 Global Action on Aging
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