Elder abuse increased during COVID-19 pandemic — CHR official

MANILA, Philippines — Elder abuse has increased during the coronavirus pandemic as the community quarantine forced older individuals to be isolated with potential abusers at home for a longer period of time, an official of the Commission on Human Rights noted on Monday.

“Around the world, there is emerging evidence that violence, abuse, and neglect of older persons increased due to the COVID-19 outbreak. In the country, we are still unaware of their actual situation within homes, institutions, and communities,” Karen Gomez-Dumpit, Focal Commissioner on Aging and the Human Rights of Older Persons, said in a statement, coinciding the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

Citing definition from the World Health Organization, Gomez-Dumpit explained that elder abuse is “a single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person.”

She said this type of violence constitutes a violation of the human rights of older people and includes physical, sexual, psychological, and emotional abuse, financial and material abuse, abandonment, neglect, and serious loss of dignity and respect.

“Elder abuse, despite its seriousness, is an invisible issue in the Philippines. Data on this subject is hardly available due to underreporting and limited research focused on it,” she also said.

Gomez-Dumpit cited a 2004 research conducted among urban poor communities where around 40 percent of older people who were respondents of the study said they have experienced abuse ranging from physical and verbal, ridicule and discrimination, and negligence.

She added that perpetrators are most often children and other family members. Of those who experienced abuse, only two percent reported it to authorities, while 11 percent turned to their families for support and 21 percent sought no support or refuge.

According to the CHR official, the stress, anxiety, and financial problems caused by the health crisis also added to the risk of abuse among elderly people.

She noted that police intervention, health and psychosocial services, and justice institutions that victims of abuse may avail of or resort to are either reduced or non-operational in some parts of the country.

Older persons may also be isolated from social contacts, and may have difficulty accessing services which have migrated to digital platforms in adjustment to quarantine measures.

“Older persons have the right to be free from violence, abuse, and neglect. The Department of Social Welfare and Development and the local government units have the responsibility to respond to cases of elder abuse,” she said.

“Families, communities, and older persons themselves also have important roles to play in ensuring that no older person experiences human rights violations,” she added.

The CHR official then reminded the public to be aware of elder abuse, recognize its early signs, know how to find help, and report these incidents to proper authorities.

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