Man's inhumanity

morbius

My friend started meals and wheels recently in county wexford.
One of her calls is to an 75yr old man who is paralysed.
The man lives with his son.
The house is out in the sticks and my friend was told not to call to the house without the accompaniment of a guy in case the son is there. The son has a bad reputation in the locality.
The house has just got electricity (last year) and has no indoor toilet.
The son keeps all the food locked in his room and rations it out as he sees fit.
When my friend called he was left for the day with a jar of beetroot and some liquorice... The old guy was sitting in his own faeces and when my friend checked out his room, his bedding was also covered in ****. He does not have a radio, TV or books and is left in the same position all day until his son comes back from work and moves him. My friend would like to get the old guy a TV but has been told the son would just move it in to his room.
My friend asked what could be done and was told nothing. I think the district nurse was involved.
If this was a child the parent/s would get locked up,
Can anybody suggest a way out for this old guy as he is serving a life sentence in his own house,
Thanks

Victor

I saw an article on this type of thing last year, but I can't remember what direction it went in. Potentially your friend talks to the health board and gets either home care or a nursing home. I can only suspect a nursing home can be better that the status quo.

If the health board are slow to act, a few well placed letters to politicians and the media might work.

Sleepy

Victor's right there, the best people to contact are the Health Board and if they refuse to act it may be an idea to bring the guards into it as after tackling the issue they will presumably force the health board to act.

Ignorant bástard is obviously sponging off his "carer's allowance" and presumably trying to kill the old man for whatever pittance of an estate he has to leave.

DadaKopf

It's obviouly abuse. There are laws about that. Get the authorities involved in any way possible. And get the old man to change his will!

Nasty_Girl

yeah get the authorities involved, infact, ring someone like childline and ask them if they'd know of a sister organisation that helps out old people

Victor

DadaKopf wrote:

It's obviouly abuse. There are laws about that. Get the authorities involved in any way possible.

(Not) surprisingly, there is possibly little that official Ireland can or will do. Adults have very little protection in such situations.

DadaKopf wrote:

And get the old man to change his will!

A possibility. However, it is not possible to disinherit* someone - you can go out in style though.

*IIRC No. 27/1965: - SUCCESSION ACT, 1965 http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/ZZA27Y1965.html

tribble

Victor wrote:

However, it is not possible to disinherit* someone - you can go out in style though.

*IIRC No. 27/1965: - SUCCESSION ACT, 1965 http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/ZZA27Y1965.html

If he lives 3 more years then presumably he can?

DadaKopf

Victor, I know. Maybe the media should get involved.