30/01/2007

Warning over 'financial abuse' of elderly

Many elderly people are being 'financially abused' by their carers, with the majority of those responsible being their own children, a report has claimed.

Action on Elder Abuse said that more than a quarter of the calls received by its helpline last year were about financial abuse.

The majority of the theft, fraud and deception cases reported were blamed on the victim's own children.

According to AEA, more than £2 million was reported as stolen or coerced from older people during last year.

Most of the victims were women aged over 80.

AEA Chief Executive Gary Fitzgerald said that it was a "horrendous state of affairs".

AEA is calling on banks and building societies to put strategies in place in order to protect elderly customers and government and local councils to make tackling such abuse a priority.

(KMcA)

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