Guernsey hosts elderly abuse conference for islanders
A conference about recognising and responding to the abuse of the elderly is being hosted on Guernsey.
The event will discuss abuse in residential homes and hospitals and how to deal with the situation.
Victim Support has organised the event for people in the industry from Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man.
Gary Fitzgerald, from Action on Elder Abuse (AEA), said: "It's a major problem, and probably the last hidden scandal when we talk about abuse."
Mr Fitzgerald, one of the conference contributors, said: "Once we get the subject discussed we start to see what's taking place and that's when you can take action about it.
"The message has to be about coming forward and doing something about it."
The charity, which focuses on elder abuse, said the problem is recognised in five forms - physical, financial, sexual, psychological and neglect.
Mr Fitzgerald said that about 8% of elderly people experience abuse.
"That means more than 90% don't, and we need to keep that in context," he added.