家族らの高齢者虐待、過去最多　コロナ外出自粛影響か―厚労省

　厚生労働省は２４日、２０２０年度の高齢者虐待に関する調査結果を公表した。介護する家族や親族らが加害者になる件数は前年度比２．１％増の１万７２８１件で、０７年度の調査開始以来最多を更新した。自治体などの取り組み強化により通報件数が増えたのに加え、新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大に伴う外出自粛や介護サービスの利用控えの結果、共に過ごす時間が増え、虐待が起きやすくなったことなどが背景にあるとみられる。
　一方、特別養護老人ホームなど高齢者施設の職員らが加害者となる件数は同７．６％減の５９５件で、初めて減少に転じた。ただ、厚労省は、コロナ禍で施設での面会が制限され、家族や親族が虐待に気付きにくかったことも考えられるとしており、実際にはもっと多くの虐待が行われた可能性もあるとみている。（2021/12/24-18:30）

The number of cases of abuse of elderly people by their relatives in Japan in fiscal 2020 rose 2.1 pct from the previous year to a record 17,281, a welfare ministry survey showed.
   The highest total since the survey's launch in fiscal 2007 apparently reflected the increased time elderly people spent with their families at home amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, with many refraining from going out and using nursing care services.
   The record-breaking rise is also believed to have resulted from strengthened efforts by municipalities to uncover such abuse cases.
   Meanwhile, in fiscal 2020, which ended in March 2021, the number of elderly mistreatment cases involving care facility workers fell 7.6 pct to 595, according to the survey report released on Friday. Although the total went down for the first time since the survey started, the ministry believes that restrictions on visits to care homes amid the viral spread could have made it difficult for people to become aware of the possibility of their elderly family members being abused by facility workers and that there may have been more cases of such abuse in reality.
   The number of elderly people abused by family members came to 17,778. Nearly 70 pct of them suffered physical abuse.