Archbishop’s last word: our view of elderly is a scandal

by liamssoft | December 15, 2012 at 12:45 pm

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Old people in Britain are too often treated with “contempt and exasperation” by the rest of society creating a climate in which “elder abuse” is rife, the Archbishop of Canterbury has warned.

In his final speech in the House of Lords before he steps down, Dr Rowan Williams said too many old people were now thought of as a “problem” and waiting to die in a country “frenetically oriented towards youth”.

He warned that such attitudes were contributing to abuse ranging from patronising and impatient behaviour to actual physical mistreatment.

And he called for elderly people to be viewed as “participants” in society rather than “passengers”.....Read more

independent.co.uk