WELLINGTON - Widespread cases of elderly people being ripped off by those they sign power of attorney over to, including their own children, have prompted a call for a Commissioner for the Aged.
Age Concern has documented cases of 58 older people in the past year who have been abused by
misuse of enduring power of attorney and says the incidence of abuse is probably much higher.
Law commissioner Donald Dugdale said the large number of submissions on Age Concern's discussion paper on enduring power of attorney showed the problem was common enough to warrant some form of law change.
Dozens of abuse cases uncovered by Age Concern in Auckland prompted the Law Commission to launch an investigation into the matter in June.
Subsequent research by Age Concern uncovered cases ranging from parents being shunted off to council flats so children could use their home, to, in at least one case, an elderly woman being kept shut in her room and poorly fed.
Mr Dugdale said one idea which had gained much support was to establish a commissioner specifically to look after the interests of elderly people.
The commission would make its recommendations to the Government in a report in October.
A Commissioner for the Aged is an idea welcomed by the Minister for Senior Citizens, Lianne Dalziel, who said her office regularly got calls and letters about elder abuse.
Enduring power of attorney came into law in 1998 to deal with problems with the old power of attorney which stopped operating when a person was mentally incapable of making decisions.
Age Concern's submission recommends:
* Educating the elderly "donor" and the attorney about the benefits and risks of enduring power of attorney and providing an information sheet at its signing.
* Monitoring of attorneys to ensure they are meeting their obligations.
* Ensuring the elderly have easy and low-cost access to a jurisdiction which can review or revoke the enduring power of attorney.
* Organisations be established to take on the role of attorney when no one else is available.
- NZPA
