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NGO
Forum on
Ageing 5-9 April 2002
ABUSE AND
MALTREATMENT OF THE ELDERLY
OMS/INPEA/HELP AGE
NGO Forum on Ageing
April 8, 2002
The lost voices
In addition to moving cases of abuse of elderly people, this round table
yielded clear research results. An investigation carried out by the WHO
and INPEA (International Network for the Prevention of the Elderly
People’s Abuse). According to this research, called “The Lost
Voices”, the elderly identified as an abuse category the structural and
social maltreatment, negligence, the abandonment, the lack of respect, the
attitudes against the elderly, the verbal and physical aggression, and the
legal and financial swindles. They take place in rest homes, in the
relation with health staff or in specific cultural contexts, where
different kinds of abuse, such as witchcraft accusations, arguments with
children-in-law or religion matters would be pointed out. The strategies
used to fight against these injustices include the education and the
awareness of society, the promotion of the relations between generations,
the training of the health staff, and the promotion of the elderly
people’s self-confidence and the participation of the media, among
others.
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