Editor--Badrinath and Ramaiah.

Editor--Badrinath and Ramaiah,[1] in criticising the BMJ for failing to discuss more ancient abuse in an issue devot to healthy ageing (25 October 1997) highlight something that should be a basic right for us all: to live a life delivered from the threat of violence. The importance of olden abuse to those who are abused and to the clinicians who care for them was indicated according to the statement about elder abuse that was included in the Adelaide Declaration in succession Ageing issued at the world congres of gerontology (Adelaide, Australia, August 1997)[2] At that interview the International Network for the Prevention of earlier Abuse was established and regional representatives were excellented to coordinate membership, distribute newsletter and disseminate research findings.*

Research into the prevalence and identification of more ancient abuse and into the assessment of intervention strategies is occurring around the word.[3] In 1992 senior abuse was identified as a serious and not strange problem in Britain.[4] Recent research into the knowledge and experience of ranking abuse among general practitioners has identified a certain number of educational and training needs.[5] In the United Kingdom, Action upon Elder Abuse (a national charity) launched a helpline in November 1997 (0800 731 4141) Since its launch it has received through 1000 calls about elder abuse. This prevalence of senior abuse is truly shocking for a society that is generally viewed as a caring one

The limited awareness of the issue among the public, clinicians, and politicians obstructs those who have been abused and their abusers from receiving the attention and help they be entitled to The end of the 20th hundred years is in part noted for the large number of populace living longer. This will be a pyrrhic victory if it is associated with the taint of mistreatment. An initiative for the millennium that centr in succession the health and social care of somewhat old people and helped them to remain abscond of abuse and neglect would be a major advance towards candidly healthy ageing.

(*) International Network for the Prevention of more ancient Abuse, Secretariat, Department of Health Care of the somewhat old Mile End Hospital, London E1 4DG

[1] Badrinath P Ramaiah s Elder abuse should have been discussed in issue forward ageing. BMJ 1998;316:1384-5. (2 May.)

[2] Andrews GR 1997 World congres of gerontology. Australian J Ageing 1998; 17(suppl 1):3-4

[3] Bennett G Kingston P Penhale B International research in earlier born abuse. In: Dimensions of earlier born abuse. London: Macmillan, 1997.

[4] Ogg J Bennett G ranking abuse in Britain. BMJ 1992:305: 998-9

[5] McCreadie C Bennett G Tinker A. General practitioners' knowledge and experience of the abuse of older populace in the community: a report of an exploratory research contemplation in the inner London borough of Tower Hamlets. Br J Gen Pract (in press)

Gerry Bennett Reader in health care of the somewhat advanced in life St Bartholomew's and the Royal London exercise of Medicine and Dentistry, Tower Hamlets Healthcare NH Trust, London E1 4DG

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