AS we live longer, increasing numbers of people are finding that they need someone to keep a watchful eye on them as everyday tasks become more difficult.
Thirty or forty years ago, families mostly met that need by looking out for aged grandparents and other relatives themselves.
But the sheer pace of 21st century life and the breakdown of many traditiional family networks have left many elderly people having to rely on various types of carers.
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Most carers carry out their roles with the compassion and patience you would expect from their job titles. But the 30% increase in allegations of abuse against elderly and vulnerable people in Blackburn and Darwen in the past year is very worrying especially as it has been described as "the tip of the iceberg".
In an increasingly crime-ridden and violent society, we must all be responsible for ensuring that those who cannot look after themselves without support because of age or infirmity are properly cared for and protected.
And that means proper monitoring of those who earn money from supposedly looking after others so that a criminally-inclined minority is not able to besmirch the good name of the majority of truly professional carers.
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