NHRCK Releases Its Opinion and Recommendations to Prevent Abuse against Older Persons and Protect Human Rights of Victims
-NHRCK presents opinion regarding a bill on protection of human rights of older victims of abuse and calls for strenghtening of protective mechanisms such as expansion of shelters-
On January 10 2023, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea(NHRCK) released its opinion to the Speaker of the National Assembly and recommendations to the Minister of Health and Welfare to prevent abuse against older persons and protect the rights of victims.
In its opinion submitted to the Speaker of the National Assembly, the NHRCK calls on the legislature to include the following elements and pass the bill on the protection and support for victims of elder abuse, which is currently pending in the National Assembly.
- Consolidating different provisions relating to abuse against older persons scattered across the existing Welfare of Older Persons Act, including compulsory reporting and emergency protective services for victims, counseling and education and production of awareness-raising video materials and implementation of human rights education, and the amendments to the said Act, proposed to the National Assembly for consideration, into a single Act
- Including the concept of self-neglect in the definition of abuse against older persons
- Making it mandatory to establish and operate an advocacy group for the human rights of older persons to ensure effective external monitoring of medical and welfare facilities for older persons
The recommendations to the Minister of Health and Welfare call for the establishment of additional shelters for the victims of elder abuse by local municipalities and revision of the Welfare of Older Persons Act to include requirements and procedures for the use of physical restraint on older persons at medical and welfare facilities, including frequency, intensity and duration of restraint and need for the consent of family members.
The number of cases of abuse against older persons is steadily increasing in our society. Korea is expected to become a super-aged society by 2025, where one in five of the population is 65 and older. With a growing burden of long-term care, the trend toward a super-aged society will likely drive an increase in neglect or abuse or older persons.
The NHRCK hopes that the release of the opinion and recommendations will help strengthen the State's commitment to preventing abuse against older persons and protecting the victims. The Commission will continue to do its part to make a society where older persons can live with dignity.
