Garth George: Loathsome elder abuse needs to stop

Abuse of the elderly comes in many different forms including physical, mental and financial.

It is generally accepted that the degree of civilisation of any society can be judged by the way that society treats its most vulnerable citizens. And it is generally agreed that our most vulnerable are children and the elderly.

For me, "children" refers not only to those we see being nursed or running around at play, or heading to or from school, but also those who are still in the womb. As far as I am concerned life begins at conception and no self-serving scientific dissimulation will ever convince me otherwise.

It has always seemed to me the ultimate irony that while we are quite happy to live with, and pay for, an abortion tally of 15,000-odd children wiped out every year, we are also happy to spend untold millions of dollars treating little children who are sick or injured.

Any way while on that subject, why is it that our foremost children's hospital, Starship in Auckland, is now begging the public for money to renovate its operating theatres and add a new one?

Surely that is the responsibility of the government's multi-billion-dollar health vote.

How many of us realise that donations we give to Starship are, in fact, a double-dip into our pockets to provide an essential health service?

And while on that subject, why is it that our ambulance services, fire services and surf lifesaving services have to rely on public donations? Surely those vital, life-saving organisations should be fully funded by our taxes, just like the police.

But that aside, if we consider the increasing number and frequency of reported cases of child abuse, and the increasing number of reported cases of elder abuse, then it seems to me that this nation can no longer claim to be civilised.

In one of the latest cases of elder abuse reported last week, a group of despicable scumbags have been ripping off elderly folk in Ngongotaha - the outer suburb of Rotorua in which my wife and I are happily ensconced in the security of a lifestyle village - to the tune of $250,000.

And the worst of it is that the money is not recoverable because it was, the police say, given willingly in response to invented sob stories.

According to Age Concern in Rotorua, six or seven families in Ngongotaha have been plundered (one to the tune of $100,000) after elderly family members were targeted by a group of people living in the community who took advantage of their kind and giving natures.

Notwithstanding the view of the Roman scholar and statesman Cicero, who said way back in BC, "The foolishness of old age does not characterise all who are old, but only the foolish", these unfortunate victim's lives have been irreparably damaged.

They need public support and it is good to note that Age Concern, along with Rotorua police and Neighbourhood Support, held a public meeting in Ngongotaha yesterday to highlight the problem and to help those affected.

Meanwhile, Age Concern reports that cases of elder abuse and neglect are becoming more frequent, many at the hands of family members.

Cases reported to the organisation's elder abuse and neglect prevention services rose from 515 in 2006/07 to 583 in 2010/11.

This abuse can be physical, psychological or sexual, the organisation says, but most common is financial abuse by people in a position of trust - for instance, family members moving in, exploiting the facilities on offer, or using a power of attorney to siphon off money.

Then there's physical neglect, typically by children of elderly and often disabled or sick parents.

If we are ever to hold our heads up as a civilised nation, this - and the loathsome abuse of too many of our children - has to stop.

• garth.george@hotmail.com