We are Hourglass Northern Ireland.

The only UK-wide charity calling time on the
harm, abuse and exploitation of older people

The Hourglass Northern Ireland Mission

Hourglass is the only charity dedicated to calling time on the harm, abuse and exploitation of older people across the United Kingdom. With more than 25 years’ experience and exper...

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Hourglass Northern Ireland - Latest News

Hourglass Northern Ireland is expanding awareness and support for older people facing abuse, with a continued focus on safeguarding, advocacy and community outreach.

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Meet the Hourglass Northern Ireland Team

Get to know the dedicated people behind Hourglass Northern Ireland, working together to support older people, raise awareness and tackle abuse.

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The Hourglass Northern Ireland Mission

Hourglass is the only charity dedicated to calling time on the harm, abuse and exploitation of older people across the United Kingdom. With more than 25 years’ experience and expertise, our mission is to listen, advise and support vulnerable older people and all those affected by abuse and neglect throughout the UK.

We will influence, challenge and educate society and work in partnership to bring about real and positive change.

Every year, more than a million older people are physically, psychologically, financially or sexually abused, or neglected in the UK. That’s one in six older people who are victims of abuse.

This is a truly damning indictment of how our society views and values older people. Sadly, the abuse of older people is not a new issue, but one that has now reached a critical threshold that can no longer be ignored, nor tolerated.

Hourglass in Northern Ireland:

Hourglass will develop traction in the Northern Ireland Assembly to achieve our primary goal of implementing an Adult Safeguarding Bill, bringing Northern Ireland in line with legislative protections across the wider UK.

We will work with all sectors, providers and influencers to capitalise on the wide impact of recent investigations and reports, and further shed light on the hidden abuse of older people both in care and health institutions and within their own homes.

We will pursue transparent and accurate data on crimes against older people, advocating for improvement in criminal justice procedures to broaden our insight and facilitate an agenda of prevention and protection.

Hourglass Northern Ireland - Latest News

Community Response Hub opens to tackle abuse of older people in NI

Community Response Hub opens to tackle abuse of older people in NI

Northern Ireland Coronavirus Restrictions

Northern Ireland Coronavirus Restrictions

World Wellbeing Week 2021 - Thank you to Wilson Nesbitt

World Wellbeing Week 2021 - Thank you to Wilson Nesbitt

Meet the Team: Elizabeth Lunn

Meet the Team: Elizabeth Lunn

Domestic Abuse – Coercive and Controlling Behaviour

Domestic Abuse – Coercive and Controlling Behaviour

Safer Ageing Week Northern Ireland Polling

Safer Ageing Week Northern Ireland Polling

Hourglass Northern Ireland meeting with Minister of Justice

Hourglass Northern Ireland meeting with Minister of Justice

Northern Ireland £100 Spend Local Voucher Scheme Opens

Northern Ireland £100 Spend Local Voucher Scheme Opens

October is Positive Ageing Month

October is Positive Ageing Month

Meet Veronica Gray, Deputy CEO of Hourglass

Meet Veronica Gray, Deputy CEO of Hourglass

Positive Ageing Month 2022

Positive Ageing Month 2022

Hourglass NI launches the first-ever 24/7 elder abuse helpline but urgently seeks funding to keep it alive as abuse ‘epidemic’ spirals

Hourglass NI launches the first-ever 24/7 elder abuse helpline but urgently seeks funding to keep it alive as abuse ‘epidemic’ spirals

Danske Bank Presentation

Danske Bank Presentation

Carer who took 'demeaning' videos of dementia patients, has been sentenced

Carer who took 'demeaning' videos of dementia patients, has been sentenced

Hourglass calls on council candidates in Northern Ireland to support safer ageing.

Hourglass calls on council candidates in Northern Ireland to support safer ageing.

Hourglass NI: Ten years of delivering hope for older people, but stuck in the cold

Hourglass NI: Ten years of delivering hope for older people, but stuck in the cold

Hourglass is delighted to be a partner of Helplines Northern Ireland

Hourglass is delighted to be a partner of Helplines Northern Ireland

‘Powerful message’ of NI’s Domestic Abuse Bill praised

‘Powerful message’ of NI’s Domestic Abuse Bill praised

Northern Ireland Coronavirus Restrictions

Northern Ireland Coronavirus Restrictions

Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy NI - Our Response

Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy NI - Our Response

Hourglass Northern Ireland welcomes progress in the Domestic Abuse Bill

Hourglass Northern Ireland welcomes progress in the Domestic Abuse Bill

Hourglass NI launches

Hourglass NI launches

Hourglass welcomes Sinn Féin and the DUP have re-entered devolved government in Northern Ireland

Hourglass welcomes Sinn Féin and the DUP have re-entered devolved government in Northern Ireland

Hourglass welcomes Baroness Hughes of Stretford

Hourglass welcomes Baroness Hughes of Stretford

Meet the Hourglass Northern Ireland Team

Sarah Browne

Sarah Browne

Hourglass Trustee

Sarah Browne joined Hourglass in 2018 as the Northern Ireland Trustee, and took up the role of Vice Chair in 2024. Sarah was a Social Worker for 38 ye...

Colyn Cranney

Colyn Cranney

Brand and Digital Development Lead

TBC

Janine Hillen

Janine Hillen

Executive Projects Lead

In my role as Executive Projects Lead, I support the CEO and Deputy CEO on the implementation of strategic projects across the entire organisation. Th...

Richard Gaston

Richard Gaston

Trust Fundraising Officer

In my role as Trust Fundraising Officer, I research trusts and foundations whose priorities fit with the aims and objectives of Hourglass and write fu...

Kieran Hughes

Kieran Hughes

Fundraising and Income Generation Lead

My role involves developing and implementing an innovative, multi-channel fundraising strategy for Hourglass. This includes major donors, grants, corp...

Aisling Maguire

Aisling Maguire

Frontline services Officer

I am a Frontline Services Officer for Hourglass, based in Northern Ireland. I joined Hourglass in 2024 and have a bachelor’s degree in Health and Soci...

Karyn McNiece

Karyn McNiece

Executive Projects Lead

In my role as Executive Projects Lead, I support the CEO and Deputy CEO on the implementation of strategic projects across the entire organisation. Th...

“OLDER VICTIMS OF ABUSE WERE LOCKED IN AND LEFT BEHIND”   On 2nd April 2025, Hourglass CEO Richard Robinson gave evidence to Module 10 of the Covid-19 Inquiry Roundtable, speaking about how older people were overlooked throughout the pandemic, many of whom were trapped with their abusers, cut off from support, left out of crisis planning, and had their needs ignored in pandemic guidance and restrictions. He called for urgent and lasting change including:   A Violence Against Older People Strategy to sit alongside the existing VAWG framework. A comprehensive Safer Ageing Strategy to tackle abuse, ageism, and structural neglect. Ring-fenced, multi-year funding to expand the UK’s critically under-resourced specialist support services for older victims.   COVID-19 INQUIRY ROUNDTABLE BRIEF (MODULE 10) The Inquiry’s final investigation (Module 10) sought to examine the impact of the pandemic on society in the UK.   The scope broadly included:   Vulnerable people, including those who faced domestic abuse, homelessness, were within the immigration and asylum system, were in prison or other places of detention and those who were affected by the operation of the justice system. Adult mental health and wellbeing.   Read the Full Document Below  

KEY INSIGHTS   Ageism is discriminatory, harmful, and marginalising to older people Ageism can be institutional, interpersonal, or self-directed Societal ageism can normalise ideas of abuse, or stereotyped ideas of older people.   Read the full policy brief below.    

Overarchingly, Hourglass has a neutral view on the proposed Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. We understand and support the need for older people to be able to make choices regarding their own lives and deaths and have autonomy over decision making in this sphere and any others. However, we are concerned by elements of the Bill revolving around safeguarding, oversight and regulation, and we are anxious to ensure that older people are not at risk of coercion, abuse, and pressure to end their lives on account of the Bill.   AUTONOMY OF CHOICE Hourglass’s commitment and call for a Safer Ageing Society by 2050, as outlined in its recent manifesto, specifically lays down an aim to “foster an environment where the safety and dignity of ageing individuals are guaranteed.” While assisted dying may seem antithetical to notions of keeping older adults safe and allowing for safer ageing, assisted dying legislation may well fit in a dignity consensus, and allow the dignity of choice for older people, especially in cases of terminal illness. A key concept raised by those supportive of assisted dying is that it allows a person with capacity but in need of medical support, the right to choose, and the key moral autonomy to determine for themselves when and how they die, the ethical principle of a “right to die.”As a participant from a recent Health and Social Care Select Committee roundtable on the subject contended:   “As my life starts to end and the myriad increasing comorbidities multiply, I want to die while I’m able to choose and act preserving my dignity and self-respect.”   When concerning assisted dying support for terminally ill older people rather than that of “intolerable suffering”, the choice is not between living and dying, but between dying at a time and place not of one’s choosing, or dying at a time and place of one’s choosing. People already have recognised freedom to accept or decline some life ending decisions in clinical and non-clinical contexts, including the right to refuse lifesaving treatments, or to make a Do Not Resuscitate order. As such, assisted dying could be seen as an extension of these existing rights. Even with advanced modern medicine and palliative care, pain is not extinguished from the ageing process. The provision and standard of palliative care can be variable across the UK and it must be recognised that older people should not have to make a choice between sub-optimal end of life care and assisted dying. Another prominent argument around the legislation of assisted dying is that forcing people to suffer unbearable physical and mental pain The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Hourglass www.wearehourglass.org and distress is contrary to modern ethics around health and wellbeing. As Shaw and Morton note, “permitting assisted dying enables consenting patients to avoid negative quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), enabling avoidance of suffering.”Hourglass argues that the choice to extinguish pain for those with terminal illnesses is one aspect of the dignity of choice and autonomy, and can fit within a safer ageing society.   View our full 'Written Evidence' document below.  

Improving Protections Against Economic Abuse   KEY INSIGHTS:   Economic abuse is one of the most common types of abuse in later life. Economic abuse is a crime and should be treated as such. Suffering economic abuse as an older person can have life changing effects, leading to trauma, mental health problems, and even death. Millions of pounds worth of money and assets are stolen, defrauded, or coerced from older people every year. Money management programs, bank account controls, and raising public awareness are key tools in protecting older people from economic abuse. Changes to forfeiture law could also ensure that perpetrators do not succeed in making financial gains off of those they have abused.   Full the full policy brief below.  

The Hidden Costs of the Economic Abuse of Older People in the UK   Economic abuse is a crime, and older people are key victims and victim-survivors of such abuse. But this abuse and the costs to the victim, society and the economy are hidden and all too often ignored. Understanding the effect and prevalence of economic abuse on older people is an essential first step to addressing it, yet policy makers and the public are not aware of the spread and effect of economic abuse on older people. The figures used in this document are often shocking, but many of the statistics are based on available data, therefore the actual numbers are likely to be considerably greater.   The impact of any kind of abuse or neglect on older people can be truly devastating. Older people as victims of financial crime are twice as likely to die prematurely as their non-victim peers, hence Hourglass’s campaign to build a Safer Ageing Society by 2050.   Economic abuse is often a gateway to reporting many other forms of abuse on the Hourglass helpline. Look beneath the surface of a call about fraud, theft or deception and often there is an older person dealing with physical, psychological or even sexual abuse. However, economic abuse alone is an overwhelming issue for older victims, especially if they are on limited incomes such as a state pension. Many may lose immense sums of money, lose property they have lived in for years, incur large debts, or simply do not have enough money to live on. Older people may also find it harder to recover financially from economic abuse because of the limited opportunities and time for investment and monetary growth compared to those aged younger. Mental and physical health effects and, as previously underlined, premature care admission and death may also result.   But this isn’t purely a domestic issue. The economic abuse of older adults is a significant global concern.   A recent World Health Organisation review encompassing 52 studies across 28 countries estimated that approximately 6.8% of individuals aged 60 and above experience financial abuse annually – this translates to about 1 in 15 older adults worldwide.   Again, we know this is likely to be a significant underestimation.   The prevalence of abuse in older age, including financial exploitation, has also been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Factors such as increased isolation, heightened anxiety, and greater reliance on digital technologies have made older adults more susceptible to scams and financial exploitation. This is another trend which requires action. In the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reported that in 2023, Americans aged 60 and older suffered losses exceeding $3.4 billion due to scams, marking an 11% increase from the previous year. This alarming trend underscores the growing threat of financial exploitation targeting older people.   Back in the UK, Hourglass believes that older victim-survivors have been last in line for too long. The effect that the abuse of older people has on society and the economy can no longer be ignored by the public and policy makers. Yet, all too often older people are not considered a group worthy of consideration when policy or legislation is designed. This is especially surprising when we learn that economic abuse, and all forms of abuse, cost the UK and its individual nations billions of pounds per year. In fact, The UK Government spends around £85 million per year on domestic abuse services and yet specialist services for older people have received on average less than £500k per year. Change is sorely needed, and long-term attention and funding must be delivered to support and protect older people.   This brief paper sets out the key statistical points around the economic abuse of older people.   Read the full research paper below.  

KEY INSIGHTS:   A lack of understanding about perpetrators has diminished the ability to respond effectively and provide targeted services to victims. Family members are the most seen perpetrator group by Hourglass, however it appears that there are variations depending on abuse types. Male perpetrators are more commonly seen, but perpetration of abuse against older people crosses gender lines. Perpetration risk factors can be individual or they can be linked to environmental, cultural, structural, or historical factors.   Read the full policy brief below:  

LETS COMMIT TO A SAFER AGEING SOCIETY BY 2050   Every year, over two and a half million people in the UK are affected by the physical, emotional, economic, or sexual abuse and neglect of older women and men. It’s an issue which has reached epidemic proportions but too often remains hidden from the headlines.   This stark reality is an indictment of our society's treatment and regard for older people. The rise in the abuse of older people isn't a niche issue; but it has now escalated to an intolerable level demanding immediate attention and action. Yet still governments, local authorities and other key agencies file this abuse under Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and often ignore the unique nature of this horrific abuse. Hourglass, the UK's sole charity entirely focused on confronting this epidemic of harm, abuse, and neglect inflicted upon older people, believes it is time we built a Safer Ageing Society. We need to shape a new approach that prioritises the safety and security of older people, free from abuse, especially as the number of older people continues to climb.   But this is no overnight project. We need support, understanding and, importantly, parity. But we believe a Safer Ageing Society is possible by 2050 in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.   Why parity? Because care and legislation across the UK is a patchwork of provision. Some areas have specialist support and training and others do not. Different parts of the UK protect older people in differing ways, and some better than. others. Vital data is available in some nations and regions, but is sketchy or non-existent elsewhere. It’s a lottery.   Funding parity is also necessary. Currently it is unfairly distributed. Hourglass is in a funding no man’s land – where the charity is neither seen as a frontline service or a niche specialist service. Therefore, the charity misses out on funding at both ends of the spectrum. The truth is, of course, that Hourglass is a frontline charity but the issue of the abuse of older people simply isn’t recognised as a major concern.   The media often shy away from reporting the abuse of older people; it is barely mentioned in the four legislatures across the UK, and unless you are confronted with the issue head-on, people prefer to believe it doesn’t exist at all. And that means the abuse of older people is the last taboo.   Our entire charitable objective is to end the abuse of older people and to work towards a safer ageing society. For over thirty years we've been lobbying for tangible change and parity with other forms of abuse. But this lobbying, campaigning and desperate search for much needed funding and support goes on whilst our 24/7 helpline continues to battle growing call numbers. Our team deals with the distressing realities and harrowing tales of abuse and neglect all day, every day and every night, 365 days per year. It requires a specialist team, drawing from over three decades of organisational expertise, to deal with the growing impacts Hourglass is now recording.   Read our full manifesto below.      

The Economics of Abuse 2024 Executive Summary   At a minimum, the total yearly social and economic cost of the abuse of older people in the UK is over £16 billion, and this figure is most definitely an underestimate. Over the last 3 years, economic abuse cases received by the Hourglass helpline showed financial losses by older victim-survivors across the UK totalling over £53 million.   An estimate of the necessary yearly minimal support for older victim survivors is £307,131,296 or three hundred and seven million, one hundred and thirty one, and two hundred and ninety-six pounds. The total estimated yearly cost of abuse of older people in ENGLAND and WALES is £16,401,385,000 or sixteen billion, four hundred and one million, three hundred eighty five thousand pounds. The total estimated yearly cost of abuse of older people in SCOTLAND is £165,549,302,00 or one hundred and sixty-five million, five hundred and forty nine thousand, and three hundred and two pounds. The total estimated yearly cost of abuse of older people in NORTHERN IRELAND is £49,713,165,35 or forty-nine million, seven hundred and thirteen thousand, one hundred and sixty five pounds, and thirty five pence. By 2050, the population of over 60s in the UK is predicted to grow to over 22 million. By 2050, the total estimated yearly cost of abuse of older people in the UK will increase to £25,635,930,320 or twenty-five billion, six hundred and thirty five million, nine hundred and thirty thousand, three hundred and twenty pounds. Current accommodation services (28) that have specialist services for older victim-survivors only account for 1.9% of the needed minimum. A further 1,422 refuges with capacity to support older victim-survivors are still needed across England and Wales. In England and Wales there are 133 services that provide specialist community based services, accounting for only 9.2% of the necessary provision, with 1,317 specialist older people community based services still needed. The total cost of providing the necessary service to provide protection for all older people across England and Wales is estimated to be £307,131,296 or three hundred and seven million, one hundred and thirty one thousand, and two hundred and ninety six pounds.   Read the full research paper below.  

Overview   Hourglass are the only UK-wide charity working to end the abuse of older people and promote a safer ageing society for all. Hourglass exists to raise the profile of older victim-survivors of abuse and the charity works tirelessly to deliver services which are an invaluable support to victim-survivors, their families, friends and professionals. They deliver Europe’s only 24/7 freephone Helpline dedicated to the abuse of older people and offer case work and specialist support across the UK.   The original research into this topic in 2021 was inspired by a lady called Valerie Kneale. Valerie passed away in Blackpool Victoria Hospital in November 2018, initially thought to be due to a stroke.   However, a post-mortem examination found Valerie had in fact died from internal haemorrhaging due to severe vaginal injuries. A member of staff from Blackpool Victoria Hospital was arrested on suspicion of raping Valerie but ultimately was not charged. However, this employee was charged with sexual assault against fellow staff and received a custodial sentence. Despite appeals on BBC Crimewatch and a £20,000 reward for information being offered by CrimeStoppers, no further charges have been made in relation to Mrs Kneale’s death. The inquest for Mrs Kneale has still not taken place at the time of writing this paper. Since publication of my first paper, I have presented at several Safeguarding Boards, NHS Trusts, national conferences and university lectures about the issue of sexual violence against older people in the hope of reducing incidents and improving outcomes for victims. The aim of this new paper is to present data for the financial years from 2021-22 to 2023-24 to ascertain if there has been any significant increase or decrease in the number of recorded incidents.   Read the full research paper below.  

THIRTY YEARS OF AEA/HOURGLASS   Hourglass (Safer Ageing) is the only UK-wide charity supporting older victim-survivors of abuse. Originally constituted as Action on Elder Abuse, the charity was founded in 1993 with discussions about the need for such an organisation underway as early as ten years previously. The overarching principle of the charity is that older people experience the same forms of harm and abuse as all other demographics, including financial/economic, physical, sexual and psychological abuse as well as neglect and discrimination. The organisation seeks to protect and support older people at such times of need.   In 1993, Action on Elder Abuse (AEA) was founded and launched by Professor Gerry Bennett, a pioneering and forward-thinking geriatrician who devoted his professional and personal life to the care of older people. He was joined by Paul Kingston and Bridget Penhale in shaping the charity’s mission. Also heavily involved from the start was Sally Greengross, who in 1993 was Director of Age Concern England. Sally, who became Baroness Greengross of Notting Hill, saw the need for a charity that specialised in supporting older victim-survivors of abuse and served as its Patron until her death in June 2022.   The charity was the first and still remains the only organisation of its kind in the UK focused exclusively on working to protect and prevent abuse and violence against older adults. The organisation’s aim was to challenge the abuse of older people, and influence the experience of other adults at risk of abuse, by raising awareness, seeking to raise standards of care, influencing the development of health and social care policy, providing training, and working with the media.   Read the full PDF below.  

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY   This briefing assesses movements, issues, and legislation in Scotland concerning safer ageing and the protection of older people from all forms of harm, violence, abuse, and neglect.   First and foremost, we acknowledge that much of Scottish legislation and attitudes around the protection of older people and safer ageing has been pioneering amongst the four nations, in particular aspects such as being the first nation to give social workers power of entry. However, there are a number of issues with Scottish policy and legislation as it currently stands.   These include issues with:   Data collection by police and in the safeguarding sector. The need for an economic crime strategy. Victims and Witnesses Commissioner and Older People’s Commissioner roles in Scotland. The slow role out for ‘Ask for Ani’. The limitations of the definition of domestic abuse.   Read the full policy brief below.    

KEY ISSUES Sexual abuse and violence against older victims is underrecognised and underreported. Ageist attitudes about sexuality are barriers to understanding and help-seeking. There is a lack of wider public understanding and awareness. Greater understanding of the physical, psychological, and social consequences for older victims of sexual abuse is urgently needed.   Read the full policy brief below.  

KEY ISSUES:   Abuse and violence against older male victims is underrecognized and underreported. Male specific factors can be barriers to seeking help or support. Lack of health and support services tailored to older male victims. Social isolation and fear of judgment for older male victims of abuse. Read the full policy brief below.  

KEY ISSUES: The cost of living crisis has concerning implications on the economic and physical wellbeing of older people in the UK. Significant reduction in real income and purchasing power for older people. Projections of 8.5 million older households to experience fuel poverty by January 2023. Hospital admission and rates of malnutrition could rise along with food prices.   Read the full policy brief below.  

KEY INSIGHTS   Poverty in later life is a growing problem in the UK. Poverty as a form of structural violence can affect older people’s life quality, health, mental health and access to food. Poverty can be a risk factor for violence and abuse against older victim-survivors. Abuse can also lead to older victim-survivors falling into poverty and homelessness. There is a lack of data on the affects of poverty connected to domestic violence and other forms of abuse, especially connected to older victim-survivors.   Read the full policy brief below.    

KEY INSIGHTS   Predatory marriage is a form of economic abuse, wherein marriage is a cover for exploitation and economic gain. It can have a devastating psychological and mental health impact on family members and friends of the victim. The current legislation around Wills means that marriage will revoke an existing Will, and transfer the estate and assets to the spouse. Predatory marriage may take place in secret, between two partners with large age differences, and wherein the older victim may be wealthy or lack mental capacity. Current safeguards are not sufficient to protect older people, especially those suffering from dementia or without a capacity to marry.   Read the full policy brief below:  

The lack of profile and commitment on the abuse of older people. Research December 2021   Putting an end to the abuse of older people coming last in line.   After a year and a half of living through lockdowns, being isolated from families, friends and loved ones, being confined to homes, stark new findings from Hourglass show that older people, at heightened risk from the virus, social isolation and neglect, have been deprioritised by government and beyond.   New research from the charity has identified that animal welfare, grouse shooting and even issues such as parking have been given more attention over the past year than abuse of older people. Everyone deserves to be safer in older age. But the abuse and neglect of older people is sadly falling last in line, barely visible as an issue in terms of profile, debate and action in government and the public.   Shockingly there currently isn’t a single source of statutory funding with ring-fenced resources to tackle the abuse of older people. Hourglass noted no funding has been allocated to this issue specifically since 2016.   This paper looks at the current levels of discourse around the abuse of older people within government and our political systems and the general public, and the level of public commitment to tackling the issue.   It is the first in a series of briefing papers being produced by Hourglass that will form the Safer Ageing Index – the first ever comprehensive examination of how the UK is doing when it comes to creating the right conditions for older people to age safely and reduce the risk and impact of abuse and neglect.   Read the full document below.  

KEY ISSUES:   There is an absence of regular, comprehensive data on violence and abuse of older people in the UK. The response to abuse in older age sits between the domestic abuse response, hate crime monitoring and adult safeguarding, creating a diffuse and conflicting data landscape. The four jurisdictions of the UK have varied practice in recording data on crimes against older people. The only national prevalence study on the abuse of older people in the UK (2007), which found evidence of huge complexity in the manifestations of abuse in later life, still has relevance for data collection today. There is little research on the perpetrators of abuse of older people, restricting evidenced based policy making.   Read the full policy brief below.  

KEY ISSUES:   Older adults face barriers to domestic abuse support services and mental health support services. ‘Ageing well’ has been a guiding principle in relation to older people’s mental health. National data on suicide show a second peak in prevalence in later life. This particularly applies to men over 75. Self harm in older adults is a high risk indicator for suicide. Harm and abuse can have a serious impact on mental health, domestic abuse should be considered a risk factor in suicide prevention work.   Read the full policy brief below.  

KEY ISSUES:   Public awareness and professional understanding of domestic abuse of older people needs to be improved. Public information campaigns need to reinforce the reality that domestic abuse can affect people of all ages and the risk doesn’t stop when someone reaches 65. Legislation on domestic abuse has to take account of the particular needs and circumstances of older people. In helping victims to escape their abusers, we also need to be realistic about older people’s circumstances. We need to ensure specialist support services are available in the community to help victims of all ages. Legislation in all parts of the UK must provide the same level of protection for older people -including powers of intervention for the police and local authorities - where a risk of domestic abuse is suspected.   Read the full policy brief below.  

Under present legislation in England, situations may arise where a social worker cannot access an adult at risk to conduct a private interview where there is suspected abuse.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:   50% of all respondents were concerned (either somewhat or very) about themselves being a victim of economic abuse by someone in a position of trust.   A relative majority (40.6%) of respondents were worried about an older person who they knew or cared for being a victim of economic abuse by someone in a position of trust.   Those aged between 45-54 were the age group to be most concerned about themselves being a victim (30.31%), but also the age group most concerned about an older person they knew or cared for being a victim (40.59%).   Those aged between 65-70 were the age group to be most unconcerned about themselves being a victim (54.40%), but also the age group most unconcerned about an older person they knew or cared for being a victim (31.27%). The area of the UK that showed the most concern at their own risk at being a victim of economic abuse by someone in a position of trust was Greater London with 36.86% of respondents from that area indicating concern (either somewhat or very).   Northern Ireland was the area of the UK that was most worried about an older person who they knew or cared for being a victim of economic abuse by someone in a position of trust. 55.7% of Northern Ireland respondents indicated concern (either somewhat or very).   14.1% of respondents indicated that an older person they knew/cared for had been a victim of financial abuse in the past year. 33.80% of these victims were denoted as “parent” and 24.30% were denoted as a “friend.”   26.78% of respondents indicated that an older person they knew/cared for had been the victim of an online scam to access their finances in the past year. 43.97% of these victims were denoted as “parent” and 21.34% were denoted as a “friend”.   86.29% of respondents agreed (either “strongly agreed” or “agreed”) to the statement that “some older people are more vulnerable to financial abuse/scams because they don’t have the skills and knowledge to manage their finances online and keep themselves safe”.   86.44% of respondents agreed (either “strongly agreed” or “agreed”) to the statement that “older people need to be more protected from financial abuse”.   83.21% of respondents agreed (either “strongly agreed” or “agreed”) to the statement that “as more and more of our finances move online, more and more older people are going to be at risk of “financial abuse/scams”.   94.39% of respondents thought that it was important (either “very” or “quite”) that financial services providers do more to help keep older people safe from financial abuse/scamming online.   Read the full document below.  

This research was inspired by a lady called Valerie Kneale. Valerie passed away in Blackpool Hospital in November 2018, initially thought to be due to a stroke. However, a post-mortem examination found Valerie had in fact died from internal haemorrhaging due to severe vaginal injuries.

KEY ISSUES:   The current UK criminal justice system is failing to account for the needs and vulnerabilities of older people.   While the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime (England and Wales), Victims' Code for Scotland and Victims Charter (Northern Ireland) give equal rights to all adult victims of crime, much more needs to be done to address where vulnerability intersects with perceptions of age and ageing in order to achieve better outcomes for older people.   Criminal justice outcomes for all older victims of crime need to be improved. The current system deters and intimidates older people at all stages of the process, from reporting and investigation through to prosecution and sentencing.   Read the full policy brief below.  

Age should be included as a protected characteristic in hate crime legislation in all four nations of the UK. Such a step is important to keep the topic of abuse and crime towards older people high on the agenda and provide additional protection for victims.

Growing Older Under Lockdown   “I’m not only very bored but very lonely.”   In order to better understand the human voices behind the data, and hear the lived experiences of older people during the pandemic, subsequent lockdowns and periods of restrictions, Hourglass commissioned a UK-wide poll seeking the views of older people.   Listening to the experiences of older people enables Hourglass to delve into different factors and encounters separate from any personal understanding of the pandemic and lockdowns, and provides a unique “heard” personality in a way that raw quantitative data does not. As a form of mixed method analysis, both qualitative open-ended questions and quantitative data provide Hourglass the means to better understand the experience of both older people in general, and older victim-survivors of abuse and mistreatment. “Growing Old Under Lockdown” (2020) asked people over the age of 70 to answer a qualitative and open-ended question about how life under lockdown had been for them:   “Please can you tell us a bit about what life under lockdown has been like for you? For example, have you had to shield from other people? Have you felt isolated? Or has life continued pretty much as usual?”   216 individual responses were received to this question and these responses were coded and analysed by looking at the main themes mentioned throughout. Some specific views kept recurring: Abuse Depression/mental health No Change Life Exercise Social / family / human contact Health Loneliness / isolation Boredom Restrictions Shielding Coping Technology   Read the full research document below.        

Psychological or emotional abuse involves threats of harm, bulling and harassment and other behaviours or acts of coercive control which deliberately try to scare, humiliate, isolate or ignore an older person. Such abuse can also relate to acts that may contravene the human rights of older people, such as the restriction or prevention of older people meeting their religious or cultural needs.

Physical abuse is any intentional act or behaviour causing injury, trauma or other physical suffering or bodily harm. This includes instances of fabricated or induced illness or causing an older person to become unwell.

Sexual abuse involves any non-consensual sexual act or activity perpetrated against an older person. Such acts can include rape or attempted rape, sexual assault, involving an older person in making or viewing sexual imagery against their wishes, indecent exposure, inappropriate sexual harassment, sexual teasing, innuendo, or non-consensual masturbation.  

Neglect occurs when a person deliberately withholds, or fails to provide, suitable and adequate care and support needed by an older person. It may be through a lack of knowledge or awareness, or through a deliberate decision not to act when they know the older person in their care needs help. Neglect can negatively impact the health and well-being of an older person.

Economic abuse is where someone in a position of trust interferes in an older person’s ability to acquire, use or maintain their finances. It is always a crime but not always prosecuted.

Domestic abuse, or domestic violence, is any incident of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of their gender or sexuality.

Hourglass Safer Ageing Index is a groundbreaking research project to assess the current state of ageing, examine policy and identify barriers to achieving safer ageing for all older people in Greater London.

Hourglass Cymru's Safer Ageing Index is a groundbreaking research project to assess the current state of ageing, examine policy and identify barriers to achieving safer ageing for all older people in Wales.

Hourglass Northern Ireland's Safer Ageing Index is a groundbreaking research project to assess the current state of ageing, examine policy and identify barriers to achieving safer ageing for all older people in Northern Ireland.

The Safer Ageing Index for England, which suggests significant issues in the South West and North of England, underlines that addressing the needs and challenges faced by the growing population of older adults is crucial in creating a Safer Ageing Society. This includes providing adequate housing options, healthcare services, social support, and combating social isolation to ensure a better quality of life for older people across England.

The idea of safe houses and housing support to assist those experiencing domestic abuse in the UK was first developed in the 1970s. At the time, domestic abuse was still a hidden form of harm dealt with behind closed doors, martial rape was legal, and support services were almost non-existent.

The continued public health restrictions and lockdowns introduced to combat COVID-19 pose an acute threat to older people by undermining human rights and exacerbating their risk of abuse.

Every year, more than a million older people are physically, emotionally, financially or sexually abused in the UK. This is a truly damning indictment of how our society views and values older people.

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