*Embargoed Until 0h01 on 6 May 2010*

Research published today in Age and Ageing, the Journal of the British Geriatrics Society (BGS), highlights that UK medical students are not being taught about elder abuse in all medical schools, despite ongoing concerns about the different types of elder abuse and neglect experienced by older people.

A survey of UK medical schools was carried out by a team of researchers at the University of Nottingham to evaluate what medical undergraduates in the UK are taught about ageing and geriatric medicine and how this teaching is delivered. Just over half of the UK medical schools responded (17 out of 31). While the results demonstrated that the so-called ‘giants’ of geriatric medicine – delirium, dementia, stroke, falls, osteoporosis, Parkinsonism, polypharmacy and incontinence - are taught in the majority of medical schools, there were some significant omissions.

A fifth of older people presenting to emergency departments report experience of abuse....