Chapter 8: From Protection to Safeguarding: Elder Abuse in England

Abstract

In this chapter, I want to consider how the issue of the abuse of older people (this has been the more common term used in England, but the term ‘elder abuse’ will be used throughout this chapter) has been dealt with in England over the past five decades. I have been qualified as a social worker for over 40 years and have also worked as a trainer, consultant, and researcher. I founded the organization Beyond Existing in 2000 and since then have continued to facilitate survivors’ groups for both men and women. I am in a good position to give an overview of and reflect on how elder abuse has been recognized and worked with during the past half century. I also want to raise some important questions about policy and practice and to consider whether abused older people have been ‘lost’ when moving from using the term ‘protection’ to ‘safeguarding.’ It is important to be clear at the outset that I am going to be looking at elder abuse in England rather than across the United Kingdom (UK) as a whole. The reason for this is that the UK consists of four countries:England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. All four countries have completely different legislation and statutory guidance, and each are at different stages of development in working with elder abuse.