Neglect (Adults)
Adult Neglect
Adult neglect is a form of abuse that occurs when a person fails to meet the basic needs of an adult who is unable to care for themselves or protect themselves from harm.
Neglect can involve the failure to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, emotional support, or access to essential services such as healthcare or personal care. It may also include not supporting an adult to attend medical or social care appointments, not administering prescribed medication, or leaving them in unsafe or unhygienic conditions. Neglect can be intentional or unintentional.
Adults may be more vulnerable to neglect due to disability, mental ill health, age-related conditions, or social isolation.
Self Neglect
Self-neglect is neglecting to care for one’s personal hygiene, health or surroundings and includes behaviour such as hoarding. Self-neglect can vary in the level of negative impact it has on a person’s life, this can range from having little negative impact up to causing significant harm and even death. For more information please visit our Self-Neglect page.
Both neglect by others and self-neglect are forms of abuse recognised under the Care Act. Practitioners need to be able to identify and refer onto appropriate services for support and assessment. Click here on how to report a concern
Manchester ‘Section 42 Safeguarding Enquiries’ have highlighted that Neglect and acts of omission is the most common type of risk.
Self-Neglect is the most common reason a Safeguarding Adults Review (SAR) is carried out (when an adult dies or suffers significant harm and abuse and/or neglect is suspected) and features in over 60% of SARs.
To read our Safeguarding Adult Reviews please click on the link below
All Age Neglect Toolkit
The All Age Neglect Toolkit is designed to help practitioners in Manchester feel confident in identifying, responding and acting on concerns of both neglect and self-neglect.
It can be used by any agency to risk assess and recognise when referral for further assessment is required.
To accompany the All Age Neglect Toolkit we have created video resources to support it’s implementation. These will be available here shortly.