The recent video of an elderly woman being hit by a younger lady has raised awareness about the situation of elderly abuse in Singapore.
TRANS SAFE Centre, a voluntary welfare organisation and a family violence specialist centre, receives around 80 elderly abuse cases yearly, with about 40 cases having been reported this year, Channel NewsAsia reports. Physical violence remains the most common form of abuse, followed by psychological abuse, neglect and financial abuse, such as coercing the elderly to surrender their savings.
As seniors are growing more aware of what constitutes abuse and how to seek help, more of them are reporting such incidents. Between 2010 and 2014, the number of reports increased from 7 to 17 per cent, among those aged 60 to 64, according to TRANS SAFE centre.
The introduction of the Vulnerable Adults Act by the end of next year would give social workers the power to enter homes of seniors suspected of being abused, but right now family members may prevent them from getting access to these seniors.
One key challenge in reporting incidents of family violence is distinguishing between whether it is a family dispute or an abuse case, said social workers.
Photo: Gramicidin via Flickr
