MINISTER of Social Development and Family Services Donna Cox says there have been 216 reports of abuse elderly people to date for 2023.

The revelation came during her contribution to the budget debate in the Senate on Monday. Cox said 182 of those cases were in private residences with 34 occurring in homes for the elderly.

She said, for abuse in private residences, this year saw a reduction from last year's figure of 260 – a decrease of 78.

However, she said the number of abuse cases from homes for the elderly only saw a marginal decrease from last year's 37 – a difference of three.

To help address those and other issues, particularly in homes for the elderly, Cox said her ministry was reviewing the relevant legislation.

"The review of the Homes for Older Persons Act and Regulations, as well as the revision of the accompanying draft policy, is near completion by the ministry’s internal legislative review committee.

"We have received comprehensive feedback from the Ministry of Health with regard to the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services’ proposed amendments to the act. The recommendations have been considered with a view to incorporating them into the revised legislation."

Cox said her ministry also met with key stakeholders like the TT Residential Care Association and would engage with others to finalise the review process for both the act and the regulations.

In the meantime, she said the ministry intended to conduct additional public sensitisation programmes for the general public and operators of senior citizens' homes, reviewing the policy on ageing and increasing collaboration with the police to ensure reported incidents of elder abuse are thoroughly investigated.

Looking forward to the new financial year, Cox said her ministry intended to use a $1.3 million allocation to resume its Senior Activity Centre Programme.

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