NEWS RELEASE

Contact:        Gary Martin    

Tel Admin:        0044 (0) 20 8765 7000  

Fax:                  0044 (0) 20 8679 4074

Helpline:           080 8808 8141 UK

Helpline:           1800 940 010   Ireland

Embargo: 11.15am 20 May 2008                                                           A0508

Abuse charity strongly welcomes the Government’s new guidance on splitting elderly couples when placing them in care

Action on Elder Abuse, (AEA) the leading specialist charity focussing upon the abuse of older people, has welcomed today’s announcement that the Government is to issue guidance to local authorities restricting them from splitting married elder couples when placing them in care. 

Gary FitzGerald, Chief Executive of AEA, said “For many older people, the experience of giving up their own homes to go into a care home is a difficult and traumatic one.  But it can be made intolerable if they are also forced to part from their loved partner.  In today’s Britain this should not be an option.”

Continued FitzGerald, “By issuing this guidance the Government has sent a clear message that meeting the care needs of older people is more than about simply finding them a care home or care service.  It must include ensuring that their marital status, (including civil partnerships), are protected and maintained.  We have seen too many situations where very old and very frail people, who have lived together for decades, have been parted in the last years of their lives.  This is plain wrong.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

For further information on this news release please call 020 8765 7000 and speak to Daniel Blake.

1.                   Ivan Lewis, the Minister responsible for Social Care, launched the Dignity in Care campaign in November 2006 and Action on Elder Abuse is one of the Government’s named ‘Dignity Guardians’ and a strong supporter of the campaign.

2.                   Action on Elder Abuse is a national charity which aims to protect, and prevent the abuse of, vulnerable older people.  It does this by raising awareness of the issues, encouraging education and by giving information and support to those in need. It has the only national freephone helpline dedicated to this cause and callers may ring from Monday to Friday between the hours of 9.00am and 5.00pm on 080 8808 8141 from the UK or 1800 940 010 from the Republic of Ireland for confidential support and information. For further information on Action on Elder Abuse go to website: www.elderabuse.org.uk