Japan passes elder abuse law
From the London Telegraph-News:
Japan yesterday passed its first law to prevent abuse of the elderly following alarm at the problem in a nation which traditionally venerates the old.The law, approved unanimously by parliament’s upper house, aims to prevent the mistreatment of elderly people in homes as well as those living with relatives.Elder abuse covers physical assaults but also verbal abuse, abandonment, neglect and mismanagement of property and, in a society which is ageing rapidly, it is seen as an increasingly serious problem.From next April suspected cases must be reported to local authorities, which will have to investigate them with the police.The country was shocked last year by a study showing almost 2,000 known cases of elder abuse. Experts believe the real figure may be several times higher.In one reported incident, a 78-year-old woman died after being left for months in her bed at her son’s home north of Tokyo. Her bedding was never changed and food merely left at her bedside, though she needed help to eat.Though the problem is much worse in the West, the statistics shocked a country whose veneration of the elderly even includes the celebrating a bank holiday called Respect for the Aged day.
Ed: for information on elder abuse issues of concern to the international community, visit the website of the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse.