Gary FitzGerald has been with Action on Elder Abuse (AEA) since 2001 and was appointed Chief Executive on 2 April 2002. AEA is a charity that provides information and guidance on the prevention of elder abuse in particular, but also addresses the abuse of other vulnerable adults too. It has sought to influence social policy to facilitate the protection of older people and other vulnerable adults and to ensure that action is taken when abuse is identified.

Gary worked for over 20 years within Local Government Social Care provision focusing on all aspects of care of older people. He has been responsible for and/or involved in the management of domiciliary care services, meals on wheels services, day centres, residential homes, occupational therapy services and a range of peripheral similar services.

Gary had an honorary doctorate conferred upon him in 2012 by Northumbria University in recognition of his work on elder abuse, and was the winner of the Great British Care Awards the same year for an ‘outstanding contribution to social care’. He has spoken in the United Kingdom and Ireland on elder abuse, and regularly contributes to radio and television programmes on the subject.

AEA has been responsible for influencing the conclusions of a Parliamentary Health Select Committee Inquiry into elder abuse in 2004, the development of a prevalence study into community elder abuse in 2007, the review of the English No Secrets guidance on adult protection (which led to a similar review in Wales) which reported in 2010, and the commitment to Adult Safeguarding legislation by the Government in 2012.

AEA provides comprehensive free-standing training packs and DVDs, undertakes adult safeguarding consultancy work, provides conferences and seminars, hosts a Practitioners Support Network, and has established several AEA community groups in England