Martin De Ruyter/Stuff
Age Concern Nelson Tasman elder abuse & neglect prevention adviser Mal Drummond and manager Caroline Budge will mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day at purple-themed Tea & Talk sessions in Richmond on Wednesday and Nelson on Thursday. (File photograph)
Age Concern Nelson Tasman says online scams – romance scams in particular – are an emerging risk for older people in the region.
“This type of financial abuse is also seen as a form of psychological abuse because of the impact and implications the victim suffers,” said Age Concern elder abuse & neglect prevention adviser Mal Drummond.
In advance of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on Wednesday, Drummond released statistics showing that for the first six months of 2022, Age Concern received 67 reports of elder abuse and neglect in the Nelson-Tasman region. Age Concern normally deals with about 100 cases a year.
Of the cases in the first six months of 2022, 40% of the victims were aged over 80 and 40% were living alone. About 70% of the alleged abusers were family members.
READ MORE:
* Rise in phone scams prompts warning for elderly
* Nelson-Tasman elder abuse case hike may indicate greater awareness
* Age Concern Nelson Tasman shines light on ‘dreadful’ elder abuse
KIRK HARGREAVES/Stuff
Older people who are lonely and isolated may reach out for connections online and become targets for scammers.
“Financial abuse is still quite high along with psychological abuse, which together account for over 60%…
