Elder Abuse National Implementation Group

Protecting Older People from Abuse (from the HSE website).

In December 2003, the Department of Health and Children established the Elder Abuse National Implementation Group to oversee the implementation of the 2002 Working Group on Elder Abuse Report Protecting Our Future.

Terms of Reference

“To plan, advise on and monitor, the implementation, on a phased and consistent basis, of the recommendations contained in the Report of the Working Group On Elder Abuse entitled “Protecting Our Future”, having regard to the experience gained in the earlier pilot projects.

Progress Reports shall be made periodically to the Inter-Departmental Group on the needs of older people.”

Membership

Professor Desmond O’Neill Adelaide and Meath Hospital Dublin and Trinity College Dublin; Chairman
Dr Brian Carey Irish Society of Physicians in Geriatric Medicine Geriatrician
Ms Sinead Fitzpatrick Practice Development Facilitator Irish Nursing Homes Organisation
Mr John Costello Law Society of Ireland Solicitor
Mr Michael Murchan DoHC – alternative rep Assistant Principal
Dr Aisling Denihan Irish Association of Psychiatrists of Old Age Consultant Psychiatrist Psychiatry of Old Age
Ms Eileen Kehoe DoHC Principal Officer
Ms Brenda Hannon HSE- Dublin/Mid Leinster Region Specialist Older Persons
Ms Mary Horkan Irish Association of Older People Senior Research Fellow, U.C.D.
Supt Bernard McKeown Garda Community Relations Superintendent
Mr Liam O’Callaghan HSE - Dublin/Mid Leinster Region General Manager
Ms Irene O’Connor HSE – Western Region
Mr Jim O’Riordan HSE – Dublin/North-East Manager, Services for Older People
Ms Irene O’Connor HSE – Western Region Director of Nursing
Mr Pat O’Toole National Council of Ageing and Older People Member
Ms Ann Ryan Social Services Inspectorate Inspector
Ms Bridget Smith HSE – Western Region Service Manager for Older People
Ms Julie Ling (assisting) Policy Advisor Care of the Older Person/Palliative Care Advisor
Mr Frank Murphy (assisting) HSE – Implementation Advisor Local Health Manager, HSE – Western Region
Ms. Maria Stanley (assisting) DoHC - Secretary to the Group Higher Executive Officer

Contacting the Group

All contact and/or correspondence should be addressed to the Secretary to the Elder Abuse National Implementation Group, Department of Health and Children, Room 629, Hawkins House, Hawkins Street, Dublin 2.

The information line number for Elder Abuse is lo-call 1850 24 1850.

Minutes of Meetings

All documents are in PDF format.

Background to the 2002 Elder Abuse Working Group Report ‘Protecting our Future’

Following the publication of the Report "Abuse, Neglect and Mistreatment of Older People: an Exploratory Study" by the National Council on Ageing and Older People, in 1998 a Working Group to advise on the formulation of procedures and guidelines on elder abuse was established by the Department of Health and Children. The terms of reference of the Working Group were to advise on the development of principles, policies and guidelines in relation to the implementation of appropriate structures to deal with elder abuse.

Following a comprehensive work programme which included, inter alia, the development of a training brief, the organisation of pilot projects, an evaluation report, implementation of awareness and training programmes the Working Group on Elder Abuse published its report, 'Protecting Our Future', in 2002.

This Report, in starting with a definition of elder abuse and recommending the putting in place of structures to deal with suspected cases will, hopefully, give older people who feel they are the subject of abuse in any shape or form, the confidence to report their anxieties, as appropriate, to a social worker, a public health nurse, a member of the Garda Síochana or, indeed, any professional or care worker.

One of the recommendations in the Elder Abuse Report is the establishment of a National Implementation Group which was established in December 2003.

Reporting suspicions of Elder Abuse

Within the next six months, the HSE is due to set up a network of Senior Case Workers to deal with reports of suspected elder abuse. In the meanwhile, General Managers in each Local Health Area will arrange to have any such concerns dealt with by the appropriate health or social care professional, and the HSE information line will make sure that your query will be passed on to the appropriate General Manager's office who will handle the report. The information line number is lo-call 1850 24 1850 and operates from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm, Monday to Saturday. If a vulnerable older person is in immediate danger outside of these hours, please call the Gardai.

Useful Publications

Annual Reports