The HSE received 176 complaints of sexual abuse of elderly people last year.
According to the National Safeguarding Office's annual report, 54 of the victims were over 80 years old.
In total, over 3,300 'concerns' of elder abuse were made in 2019, a 9 per cent increase on the year before.
Dr Sarah Donnelly, an assistant professor of social work in UCD, says the new report is very concerning.
"We have seen a strong media focus on financial abuse, but also what this report really tells us is that there also increasing numbers of older people experiencing psychological and physical abuse.
"It also worryingly that it details 122 cases of sexual abuse in over 65s and 54 in the over 80s."
Physical Abuse= 40%/5067 referrals, Sexual Abuse 5%/629 referrals(of which 54 relate to O-80's);Psychological Abuse 33%/4197 referrals;Financial Abuse 10%/1334 referrals and Neglect 8%/998 referrals pic.twitter.com/sBdEn502Qv
— Sarah Donnelly (@sarahmdonnelly1) November 10, 2020
Protecting adults
According to the report, Adult Safeguarding is one of the priorities contained within the HSE Patient Safety Strategy (2019 – 2024), this year safeguarding moving within the governance of Quality & Patient Safety.
It stated "The publication of the 2019 Annual Report of the National Safeguarding Office is a timely reminder in what are challenging times for the health service of the central position that adult safeguarding plays across all health and personal social care services.
"Working in collaboration with stakeholders and funded agencies we must strive together to advance the necessary service improvements in practice, procedures, service provision and care to protect adults at risk of abuse."
The report said the current HSE Safeguarding Vulnerable Persons at Risk of Abuse Policy, 2014 has played an important role in supporting the human rights, welfare and safety of adults at risk of abuse.
A policy however is just that, without committed people to operate the policy its benefits would not be realised.
It conluced by saying "We are aware of the importance of managers at all levels supporting our Safeguarding efforts, I thank managers for their support and ask that this continues.
"During 2020 an intense and challenging year of work has been undertaken by an Implementation Steering Group, building on three previous years of consultation to prepare for a phased
transition to the revised policy."
