Worcester News Column – WMRSASC CEO, Jocelyn Anderson
How Safe are our Older People?
Last month, our centre held an event around an uncomfortable question: how safe are our older people?
The theme was safety and dignity at any age. Yet when we talk about sexual violence, older people are still too often missing from the conversation. Media coverage usually focuses on younger people, leaving the impression that age offers protection. Sadly, it does not.
No one wants to imagine a parent or grandparent being sexually assaulted, particularly when they are frail, unwell or dependent on others for care. But looking away does not keep people safe. Abuse may be perpetrated by a partner, family member, another resident, a stranger or someone trusted to provide care. Some older survivors have lived for decades with earlier abuse; for others, the first assault happens in later life.
At our event, two speakers brought this reality into the room. One was a woman in her seventies who was brutally attacked by a stranger while walking home. The other spoke about her grandmother, who was sexually assaulted in hospital by a male nurse. Both described fear, flashbacks, loss of trust and being let down by the criminal justice process. Their experiences showed that sexual violence has no age limit.
Every person has the right to be safe and to feel safe, whether at home, in a care home, hospital or elsewhere. Families place trust in those caring for someone they love. Acknowledging that abuse can happen in care settings is not an attack on compassionate staff. It is a reminder that safeguarding requires more than good intentions. Staff need the confidence to recognise abuse, respond and seek specialist support.
Older survivors may depend on the person harming them, fear losing their home or care, feel ashamed, or worry they will not be believed. Their memory or capacity may be questioned before anyone has truly listened. Those disclosing historic abuse may be asked why they are speaking now or told they should be “over it”.
There is no expiry date on trauma, and no age limit on the right to receive support.
Many younger people now have online information that helps them recognise abuse and find support. We cannot assume older people have the same access. Some may not use the internet, know that specialist services exist or have a safe opportunity to seek help. Even those online may not see themselves reflected in services.
We cannot simply wait for older survivors to find us. Families, care staff, health professionals and community organisations have a role: notice when something is wrong, listen without judgement and take concerns seriously.
At WMRSASC, we support people of all ages. We adapt our support to each individual and work sensitively with families and professionals where appropriate. We have supported families following the assault of a loved one, as well as care-home staff who have experienced sexual assault or harassment. Being assaulted should never be accepted as “part of the job”.
We also provide training to help staff recognise sexual harassment and abuse, understand trauma and respond safely to disclosures. Harmful behaviour must never be ignored or normalised because someone is older, unwell or living in a care setting.
Safety and dignity at any age cannot simply be a slogan. It must be a promise that older people will not be forgotten, dismissed or told they are too old for their experience to matter.