Support serviceA helpline for older people has reported a 50 per cent increase in calls so far this year, with a growing number of callers saying they are coming under pressure to sign over their homes to younger relatives.
Around half of the 4,000 calls to the Senior Help Line since January were from older people who said they were lonely. Some 23 per cent were from those who were suffering from physical, verbal or emotional abuse.
National co-ordinator of the Senior Help Line Mary Nally said the phones were also very busy during the summer months as older people were often left behind when families were gone on holidays.
She said the question of wills and signing over property was also "a huge pressure" on many older people.
"Because of the cost of houses now, younger people see older people as sitting on a very valuable asset. They suggest that they will look after the older person for the rest of their lives if they sign over the property.
"But what happens is that the older person is left living in one room and only gets meals when it suits the younger people. It is really terrible what we are hearing," Ms Nally said.
She said older people often found it difficult to get their own legal advice because they were usually taken to see a lawyer by a son or daughter and didn't get the chance to talk to the solicitor on their own. "They know they have made a terrible mistake and want to know how they can get out of it - we help them by explaining their options," she said.
For many people who call the helpline, it is the first time they have discussed the problem with anyone, she said.
The Senior Help Line has grown rapidly since its inception seven years ago. It now has 13 centres around the State and is a peer-to-peer service, in that the 350 trained volunteers who take the calls are older people aged 60-92.
It is currently open from 10am to 1pm and from 7pm to 10pm, but these hours are to be extended to include an afternoon session from September due to growing demand.
Ms Nally said another worrying trend recently was a growing number of callers contemplating suicide. She said all volunteers had now received specific training to deal with such calls.
As lifestyles changed, she said, people had less time for older relatives and as a result they were experiencing increasing isolation. "Some callers tell us that their families are very, very busy, or that their families have moved long distances away and they have less time to visit." She encouraged people to make an effort to call on older relatives or neighbours.
Ms Nally said people who called the helpline could be assured of a confidential and non-judgmental service. The fact that volunteers were older people was the key to its success, she said, and callers were given as much time as they needed.
The Senior Help Line number is 1850 440 444. Calls are charged at the same rate as local calls.