My attitude is we are all going to be old someday. We are all going to get weaker and more dependent on other people. Being fit and active can help to delay this process. Poverty is one of the main problems in old age. For someone who relies on the State Pension alone their income is currently 219 per week and that rises to 229 when you are over 80 years old.
The Prime Time programme highlighted issues of force feeding, threatening behaviour and stealing by carers. There are a lot of companies in Ireland today who provide care services to people living in their own homes and these are under contract to the Health Service Authority.
That organisation also provides carers to the majority of people being cared for at home. The other alternative for older people is of course to go into a nursing home but that is very expensive - usually in excess of 800 per week and the older person will probably have to sell their house to pay for their care.
The World Health Organisation defined elder abuse in 2002
"A single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes further harm or distress to an older person or violates their human and civil rights"
Dr. Corina Naughton of University College Dublin produced a Report on the National Study of Elder Abuse and Neglect which was published in November 2010. It outlines different types of abuse against older people, physical, psychological, financial and sexual which causes emotional distress, loss of self confidence and possible depression in older people.