Life in Salford 27 • November 2019 24
Are you being abused or neglected? Is somebody taking your money? Not looking after you properly? Keeping you away from family and friends?
Abuse isn’t just being hit or shouted at. Abuse can be many things but it is never okay and you should never have to put up with it. Salford Safeguarding Adults Board brings together a whole range of organisations who work together to protect people from abuse. If you’re worried about things that don’t seem right, you may be suffering from some kind of abuse. Get in touch and let’s talk about what’s happening. It’s totally confidential. We’ll help you decide what to do and help you every step of the way. If it is abuse together we’ll stop it.
Elsie’s* story Elsie, 82, was financially abused by a member of her family who gradually took thousands of pounds from her. She got behind with her bills, had no money for food and eventually lost her home. The bank noticed I looked poorly and that money was going from my account. They contacted the police. I didn’t want to get the person into trouble, I just wanted what was happening to stop but I couldn’t see a way out of it by myself. I needed help. The manager of my new home, a social worker, the police and I had a meeting. I was a bit scared. I didn’t know what it would mean for the person or for me. I’d never been involved with the police or social services before and I didn’t know what to expect. I thought it would just snowball and they would do what they thought was best. It wasn’t like that at all. They didn’t take anything out of my hands, they didn’t do anything without asking if I was in favour of it. I was totally involved in making the decisions and they were so kind. They were not trying to cause trouble; they were trying to help me. Now she’s no longer losing money Elsie’s bills are paid, she’s improving her new home and has savings again. Her bank keeps an eye on her and if she’s worried she knows where to call for help. If you’re being abused or neglected, contact us in confidence on 0161 631 4777 and we can help you. You can also contact us if you suspect someone may be a victim of abuse or neglect.
*Name has been changed Picture posed by model
