Councils call for a prevention program against violence against senior citizens
Published: Tuesday, Feb 27th 2024, 11:40
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Parliament is calling for a federal program to combat violence against the elderly. The requested impulse program should focus on raising awareness, but also on training and easily accessible care services to relieve the burden on relatives.
On Tuesday, the Council of States referred a motion by former centrist National Councillor Ida Glanzmann (LU) to the Federal Council by 21 votes to 19, with two abstentions. The responsible committee had recommended the motion for adoption with a casting vote by its president Mathilde Crevoisier Crelier (SP/JU). The federal government has a responsibility, said Crevoisier Crelier in the Council.
Violence, abuse and neglect in old age are taboo, added Maja Graf (Greens/BL). Excessive demands and overburdening of professionals and caregiving relatives are often the reason. The impulse program will become all the more important with the ageing population and the shortage of care professionals.
Minority spokesperson Jakob Stark (SVP/TG) referred to the subsidiary responsibility of the federal government: "The cantons are in the lead." A number of private organizations are active in the area of violence in old age. The topic should also be addressed in the programs against domestic violence and all those affected by violence should be taken into account.
Work interrupted
The federal government and cantons had already carried out preliminary work on the impulse program, but then interrupted the work. According to the proponents, annual costs of CHF 500,000 to one million were assumed.
However, the government did not pursue the work further because the cantons did not want to contribute to the costs, said Social Affairs Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider. The Council also demanded that the cantons should contribute to the costs of such programs.
In a 2020 report, the federal government estimates that between 300,000 and 500,000 people aged 60 and over are victims of violence, abuse or neglect every year. The incidents are often due to relatives or care staff being overwhelmed or overburdened.
©Keystone/SDA
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