A/HRC/42/43/Add.1 86. The Independent Expert emphasizes the need to put in place procedures and a detection and action protocol for cases of financial abuse of older persons that occur in the family and in institutional settings. 87. The Independent Expert calls upon the Government to step up its efforts to establish a database with comprehensive statistics on violence against women, disaggregated by gender, age and relationship between the victim and the perpetrator, as this would generate essential data for targeted prevention. 88. She also stresses the need to ensure the availability of a sufficient number of adequate shelters and safe houses adapted to the specific needs of older persons, better and more accessible legal aid and the provision to victims of counselling, rehabilitation and support services. Assistance to older victims of violence needs to include legal responses as well as social measures. As they may be afraid to go to the police, alternative services, such as case workers, should be available to support older persons throughout the process, for example, by referring them to the police and helping them to find a shelter. 89. The Independent Expert recommends that awareness-raising specifically target the private sphere and informal carers, particularly as collective prejudice against older persons and public awareness influence the way in which abuse and violence are perceived, recognized and reported. 90. The Independent Expert recommends that a preventive information campaign on violence against and maltreatment and abuse of older persons be conducted. Targeted dissemination of information to older persons about their rights could help to improve disclosure of abusive experiences, including financial abuse occurring in the family. 4. Adequate standard of living and autonomy 91. The Independent Expert recommends that Uruguay adopt an adequately resourced, comprehensive accessibility strategy and promote universal design for all buildings, public services and public transport to ensure accessibility for older persons, including those with reduced mobility and disabilities. 92. It is essential for engineers and architects to be aware of the implications their professions have on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons. The Independent Expert recommends that a human rights-based approach be applied in order to secure the involvement of architects and engineers in the design of public and private buildings, in conformity with human rights. 93. While recognizing the measures taken to provide housing to older persons, the Independent Expert calls for more systematic efforts to assist this vulnerable group and to expand the availability and quality of social housing, including for homeless older persons. She recommends that Uruguay adopt a comprehensive social housing and shelter strategy that is inclusive and systematic and that sets quality and habitability standards and is based on the right to adequate, affordable housing. She also urges Uruguay to adopt all necessary measures to avoid criminalizing homelessness and to ensure the proper implementation of appropriate policies and programmes to facilitate the social reintegration of homeless older persons. 94. The Independent Expert urges Uruguay to repeal the legal provisions restricting the legal capacity of persons with disabilities. She emphasizes the need to address without delay the issue of deprivation of legal capacity, in line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and to replace the current guardianship and substituted decision-making regime with a system of supported decision-making that fully respects the autonomy, integrity, dignity, will and preferences of the person. 5. Social protection and the right to social security 95. Recognizing the efforts of Uruguay to improve its legislative framework related to social protection, the Independent Expert stresses the need to continue the reform 15

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