The silent crisis: protecting the dignity of older persons

Every year on June 15, the world commemorates the United Nations International Day for the Awareness of Elder Abuse and Neglect, a day that calls upon governments, communities and families to confront one of society’s most hidden human rights violations. Elder abuse is not confined to distant places or isolated institutions. It happens quietly in homes, hospitals, care facilities and communities across the world, including here in Malta.

As populations age rapidly, societies are being challenged to rethink how they value, protect and support older persons. Malta, like the rest of all the countries around the world, is experiencing a demographic transformation. People are living longer, families are becoming smaller and traditional caregiving structures are under pressure. While longevity is a triumph of modern society, it also exposes vulnerabilities that too often remain invisible.

Elder abuse can take many forms: physical violence, psychological abuse, financial exploitation, neglect, abandonment and even digital scams targeting older persons. In many cases, the perpetrators are not strangers but trusted relatives, caregivers or institutions. The abuse frequently goes unreported because victims fear retaliation, dependency, shame or the painful possibility of losing family connections.

Perhaps the most dangerous aspect of elder abuse is its silence.

Unlike other forms of violence that may attract public outrage, abuse against older persons is often normalised or dismissed as a ‘private family matter’. Ageism, the prejudice based on age, contributes significantly to this silence. When society begins to view older persons as burdens rather than contributors, neglect becomes easier to justify and dignity easier to ignore.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed these realities with alarming clarity. Older persons experienced prolonged isolation, restricted social contact and heightened dependency. While many families and care workers demonstrated extraordinary compassion, the crisis also revealed weaknesses in long-term care systems worldwide. Isolation increased risks of neglect, depression and undetected abuse. The lessons from those difficult years must not be forgotten.

In Malta, strong family ties remain one of our greatest strengths. Yet even close-knit societies are not immune to the pressures of modern life. Economic stress, migration, caregiving burdens and changing lifestyles can create environments where older persons become socially isolated or emotionally neglected. Abuse does not always leave bruises. Sometimes it appears as loneliness, exclusion from decision-making, infantilisation or the denial of autonomy.

Protecting older persons, therefore, requires more than legislation. It requires a cultural shift.

We must move beyond seeing ageing solely through the lens of dependency. Older persons are holders of knowledge, memory, skills and identity. They are grandparents preserving traditions, volunteers supporting communities and citizens who continue contributing long after retirement. An age-friendly society is one that values participation across all generations.

Perhaps the most dangerous aspect of elder abuse is its silence

One important approach gaining global attention is ‘ageing-in-place’, which enables older persons to remain safely, independently and comfortably in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. Research consistently shows that most older persons prefer to age within familiar environments rather than institutional settings. This model promotes autonomy, mental well-being and social connectedness.

For ageing-in-place to succeed, however, communities must adapt. Housing must become safer and more accessible. Health and social care services need stronger integration. Public transport, digital technology and urban planning must consider the realities of ageing populations. Equally important is support for informal caregivers, who often carry immense emotional and financial responsibilities with little recognition.

Technology also presents both opportunities and risks. Digital tools such as telemedicine, remote monitoring and smart-home systems can improve safety and independence. At the same time, online fraud and cyber exploitation increasingly target older persons unfamiliar with digital platforms. Digital literacy is, therefore, becoming an essential part for older persons’ protection.

Education and awareness remain among the most powerful tools against abuse. Healthcare professionals, social workers, financial institutions, law enforcement agencies and community organisations all have a role to play in identifying warning signs and responding appropriately. Neighbours, friends and relatives must also learn to recognise when an older person may be suffering in silence.

Most importantly, older persons themselves must be included in conversations about policies and services that affect their lives. Too often, decisions are made for them rather than with them. Respecting dignity means respecting voice, choice and independence.

The United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030) calls for global action to combat ageism, improve long-term care and create age-friendly environments. Moreover, the UN has increasingly recognised the need to strengthen the human rights of older persons. Through the work of the UN Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing and recent initiatives within the Human Rights Council, there is growing international support for a dedicated legal instrument that would better protect older persons from discrimination, abuse, neglect and violations of their dignity and autonomy. These efforts underline the principle that older persons are entitled to enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis with others, irrespective of age.

In Malta, these principles are reflected in the National Strategic Policy for Active Ageing (2023-2030), which promotes health, participation, security, lifelong learning and social inclusion throughout later life. The strategy recognises older persons as active contributors to society rather than passive recipients of care, and seeks to create opportunities for their continued engagement in community life, employment, volunteering and decision-making. By aligning national policies with international commitments, Malta can continue to strengthen a society that values and empowers people of all ages.

Commemorative days are meaningful only if they inspire action beyond symbolic gestures. On this International Day for the Awareness of Elder Abuse and Neglect, we must ask ourselves difficult questions: Are we listening enough to older persons? Are our systems truly protecting the vulnerable? Are we building communities where people can age with dignity and security?

Ultimately, the measure of a society lies not in how it treats the powerful, but in how it protects those who may be vulnerable. Ageing is not someone else’s issue. It is the future of every one of us. A society that safeguards the dignity, rights and well-being of older persons is not simply caring only for this cohort, but it is safeguarding its own humanity.

Rosette Farrugia-Bonello is deputy director at the International Institute on Ageing United Nations-Malta (INIA) and vice president of the Maltese Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics (MAGG).