Editorial: Elderly deserve better

I took a phone call yesterday from a woman upset her elderly aunt had been taken advantage of.

The woman explained her aunt, now a widow, had saved money for some home renovations and paid $1800 to a local tradesman to paint and wallpaper inside her home.

She said the job was shoddy and she felt her aunt had been ripped off.

Without further investigation it is hard to determine if this was a case of bad value for money or if this woman has been badly ripped off because she is elderly and vulnerable.

Sadly the latter happens too often locally.

Today we report police are warning elderly residents to be careful about their personal security following the spate of attacks in Auckland, resulting in a man being charged this week.

Locally, we've had our share of elderly people being attacked - from the 71-year-old Kawerau woman bashed in her home in December last year by a stranger who then stole her car to Rotorua's Gavin Hayes who was repeatedly victimised by teenagers who stole his car and possessions.

But Age Concern in Rotorua said by far the biggest concern for elderly locally was someone they knew, either a family member or neighbour, ripping them off.

This includes people who claim to do a job but then fail to deliver because they think they can get away with it.

If you're one of these people who see the elderly as easy targets, go and earn your own money. Our older people are living treasures who have no doubt worked hard all their lives and should be treated with respect.