A public awareness campaign has resulted in the number of reports about older people being abused in Nottinghamshire increasing from 561 to 949 in a year. And with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day next week (15 June), authorities are doing even more to raise awareness about how to spot the signs of abuse and neglect.
The figures have been released in a report by the Nottinghamshire Safeguarding Adults Board (NSAB), which is made up of agencies including the County Council, police and health to safeguard vulnerable adults from harm.
The rise is down to more members of the public being aware of adult abuse and how to report it. More social care staff, police officers, health workers and other front line staff have also been trained to spot the signs of abuse and make sure they inform the relevant agencies.
The trend is matched across other groups of vulnerable adults, such as people with learning disabilities or mental health needs.
Allan Breeton, independent Chair of the Nottinghamshire Safeguarding Adults Board, said: "Whilst the figures have increased, we believe that it is the reporting of adult abuse, not the abuse itself, that is on the rise. This is down to better partnership work. As we do more joint work to raise awareness with the public and train front line staff to spot and report abuse, the figures are increasing.
"But at the moment we think this is a good thing. As we hear about more cases, we can look at the underlying causes of abuse and can do more to protect vulnerable people."
Posters and leaflets informing people about adult abuse and how to report it are being distributed around the county during World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Following a campaign last year, 1400 local people signed a pledge to report any concerns or suspicions they had about vulnerable neighbours, friends or family members being abused.
Anyone who has concerns about a vulnerable adult being abused should contact Nottinghamshire County Council on 08449 80 80 80.
Note to Editor:
The number of overall referrals about adult abuse has increased by 56% from 1550 in 2008/9 to 2416 in 2009/10.
