[Communiqué] World Day against Elder Abuse on June 15

The press release:

Created by the UN in 2006, this day has since taken place every year on June 15. Its aim is to raise awareness among citizens and public authorities about the violence inflicted on our elders at home and in institutions.

Abuse is a global phenomenon that mainly affects the most vulnerable groups because they are often isolated and unable to defend themselves.

Abuse occurs in a relationship of trust, dependence, care or support and most often takes place in the family environment (37%) and at home (74%).

According to the WHO, one in ten seniors are victims each month of mistreatment at home or in an institution (or of neglect: lack of help in everyday activities for those who need support). Abuse can take several forms: Physical, psychological, or even financial, medicinal, civic (and sometimes they can be associated with the same person).

In EHPADs, again according to the WHO, 2 out of 3 staff members admit to having committed an act of mistreatment.

In France, it is estimated that only 5% of situations of mistreatment give rise to reports.

On April 9, 2024, a law was promulgated (law -2024-317 of April 8, 2024) stipulating that “any person with knowledge of acts of mistreatment committed against an elderly person must report it to the cell for collecting and processing abuse alerts (from the Department). Persons bound by professional secrecy may also make this report.”

Numerous ALMA listening centers exist across the national territory and in the overseas departments, mobilizing some 600 trained volunteers.

In Reunion, the ALMA listening service with its 10 volunteers provides two hours per week, Tuesday mornings and Thursday afternoons, at 0262 41 53 48.

On other days, an answering machine directs callers.

What are ALMA’s missions?

Its main mission is to answer telephone calls on listening days and to analyze the information communicated by callers in order to identify whether there is indeed abuse, to report it to one of our partners (Departmental Council, ARS , CCAS, etc…)

The caller may request anonymity.

ALMA’s other missions:

Respond to requests for awareness-raising on Well-treatment made by training centers which prepare people for careers in caring for the elderly (home help, care assistants, nurses, host families, family carers).

The association operates thanks to subsidies from the State and the Department. It is run by trained volunteers.

Some figures from the 2023 activity report

In 2023, ALMA listening received 560 telephone calls for reports, situation support, testimonies, requests for information, training, follow-up of files, administration (compared to 712 calls in 2022)

Of these 560 calls, 187 concerned administrative matters and 161 concerned file follow-ups.

ALMA opened 116 new files of which 105 files corresponded to a worrying situation, 9 to situational support, 2 to testimonies, 28 for requests for information and guidance.

What abuses are observed, in order of importance in 2023?

• Financial abuse 26
• Psychological abuse 25
• Negligence 20
• Physical abuse 17
• Infringement of rights 16
• Medical abuse 3

Sometimes several forms of mistreatment can be cumulative against the same Person.

The listening volunteers provided 81 shifts, which represents 621 hours of listening.

The referents spent 311 hours processing and monitoring the files. 591 hours were completed for administrative tasks.

In 2023, ALMA Réunion volunteers noticed a lot of distress, calls for help, a huge need to be listened to, heard. This observation is probably linked to the years after “COVID” whose repercussions were clearly felt with inflation and a rise in unemployment.

This year, our action for this Welltreatment Awareness Day will take place on June 21 at the EHPAD Fabien LANAVE in Le Port, in partnership with ORIAPA and the France Alzheimer Réunion association. It will be coupled with the annual day of the Father FAVRON foundation of the west gerontological center.

For more information you can contact

• ALMA (0262 41 53 48, listening days: Tuesday morning from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Thursday afternoon from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.)