Legislation allowing authorities to enter properties where they believe an elderly or vulnerable person is being abused is among the measures canvassed in a major report on “adult safeguarding” by the Law Reform Commission. Financial abuse is one of the most prevalent forms of mistreatment of elderly and vulnerable people, according to the report. The private member’s Adult Safeguarding Bill 2017, introduced in the Seanad by Senator Colette Kelleher, included a proposal for a new dedicated authority. Victim’s familyIn relation to financial abuse, the report notes studies and statistics that show the abuser is often a member of the victim’s family. The report canvasses the arguments for and against new powers to allow the authorities enter property because of concerns about adult abuse.

Source: The Irish Times January 29, 2020 00:56 UTC