The enforcement of the Equalities law should never be the task of the victims, and the attention and effort devoted to it should be balanced to the protected groups most neglected and most in need.
Sir Trevor Phillips observed that Disablism is "universally practiced, institutionalised, accepted by the public, and invisible, and in it's effect on people's lives, is in many ways worse than Racism."
He might well have said the same about Ageism.
Open Age Hatred is commonplace. 7.2 million old people are [known to be] abused each year.
Action on Elder Abuse (now known as Hourglass) surveyed two and a half thousand people in January, repeating the work in June, and confirming a widespread attitude of 'dehumanising of older people' among the general public. 16% of all older people in a year are victims of abuse.
A third (34%) of the public believe 'Acts of domestic violence directed towards an older person' does not constitute abuse. ('Growing Old in the U.K')
49% (later 53%) believed 'not attending in a timely manner to an older person's needs' is abuse. (For helpless older people this would mean assisting to bed, providing food, permitting access to essential medication, allowing toileting or heating or fluid).
Attitudes to what 'counts' as abuse fuel the crisis. (30% of the public 'don't see D.A. towards old people as abuse'. 'This is the same for pushing, hitting, or beating an older person'.
[ evidence anyone can see is : The attitude shown in Mrs Browns boys, where the old man is derided and ordered onto the floor to be used as a step ladder for Mrs Brown to reach the Christmas tree, or for his back to be used as an improvised ironing board, with hilarity from the audience when 'she' forgets the iron till it burns clear through the shirt. Similar evidence was the total lack of protest about One Man Two Guvnors, which 'hilariously' mocked the elderly waiter, frequently hurled downstairs, against walls, and finally attacked with a cricket bat till rendered unconscious or dead on the floor. Would this have been so hilarious if the actor had blacked up instead of aged up?
Would James Corden have agreed to appear in it? Would anyone stage it? Would anyone dare write it?]
N O representative for Older People sat on the recent government Hidden Harms Summit.
B O TH sides of the House firmly refused even to mention older people in debating the Domestic Abuse Bill.
The You are Not Alone initiative simply ignored the existence of both Disabled and Older people, for whom simply leaving an abusive home is completely impossible. There is absolutely nowhere to go for those with care and support needs (nor those needing to shield from Covid19)
Isolated and disabled or old people must frequently accept abuse, from neighbours, carers, relatives and anyone who wishes, because they cannot escape. (33% of the public see nothing wrong in simply taking any small objects they wish from old people) The Public Guardian for Scotland points out "assent vs consent" arises when people are unable to maintain 'boundaries', because the victim is scared, but dependent. There is no realistic alternative to accepting abuse, regardless of mental capacity.
There is an extra risk for disabled or older people for 'romance fraud' for 'grooming', 'predatory marriage' for assets and immigration, for undue influence and coercion to influence a will. Capacity is variable from day to day in many conditions, and does not exclusively involve old people (50,000 under 65 have dementia, and there are many other situations of illness or disability where people need the protection of law, but in theory should go to court alone to enforce law, while others can get Equality lawyers free, but only for Race equality, not for any of the other, less equal, equalities)