Australian Government invests $4.8 million dollars to combat elder abuse

Key points:

• The Australian Government has recently announced a national campaign to increase community awareness of elder abuse from July 28, 2024
• Approximately 15 percent of older Australians experience abuse, according to the latest data from the Australian Institute of Family Studies
• Approximately two-thirds of older Australians experiencing abuse don’t seek help from others, as per the latest data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

A national campaign has recently been announced by the Australian Government to combat abuse experienced by older Australians. 

Approximately 598,000 older Australians experience abuse, according to the latest data from the Australian Institute of Family Studies.

The campaign will run across multiple Australian platforms including national television and in health clinics from July 28, 2024. 

The Australian Government has invested $4.8 million dollars to spread the message that ‘ending the abuse of older people begins with a conversation.’ Increasing community awareness and ensuring accessible information to vulnerable older Australians is a priority in this campaign. 

COTA Chief Executive Officer Patricia Sparrow commented on elder abuse statistics and emphasised the importance of reducing the risk for vulnerable older Australians.

“The statistics around elder abuse are shocking,” she said.

“It’s estimated that one in six older people experience abuse, but we also know that it’s an under-reported issue and that the figures are likely much higher than that,” she said.

“Systemic issues like ageism mean that all too often elder abuse is overlooked or dismissed. Anything that helps bring the issue to the forefront of people’s minds and provides practical tools to address it is very welcomed.

Types of elder abuse include physical, financial, psychological, sexual and neglect. Risk factors for elder abuse can include previous abuse, difficulty managing stress, poor mental or physical health and social isolation.

While Ms Sparrow praised the Australian Government for funding the anticipated television campaign, she highlighted that more needs to be done to protect older Australians from experiencing abuse.

“It’s important that the federal government develop and release a new National Elder Abuse Plan that continues this important work. This advertising campaign is an important part of that, but we should also look to other measures too, such as fixing our power of attorney laws,” she said.

“We have a situation where each state and territory has its own, often weak, power of attorney laws which is contributing to our unacceptably high rates of elder abuse.”

A power of attorney is given to someone who can act on your behalf if you find it difficult to manage personal affairs such as finances and this can provide relief for older people or people with illness or disability However, Ms Sparrow explained that there are concerns with current power of attorney laws.

“We’ve all heard stories of unscrupulous relatives or acquaintances using our inconsistent and weak power of attorney laws to get away with abusing vulnerable older Australians,” she said.

“Elder abuse takes many forms and we need serious action on many fronts. This significant awareness raising campaign is a great step forward, but fixing the power of attorney laws, as part of increasing and effective safeguards against elder abuse, is another obvious and urgent step we need to take.”

Perpetrators of abuse against older Australians can include adult children, friends, partners, neighbours and acquaintances. 

While abuse can occur in person, 25 percent of older Australians have experienced technology-facilitated abuse, according to the latest data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. 

This means that abuse such as threats or harassment occurs while the older person uses technology e.g. mobile phones or online.

Approximately two-thirds of older Australians experiencing abuse don’t seek help from others including friends and family, as per the latest data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. 

If you are an older Australian seeking advice regarding elder abuse, call 1800ELDERHelp on 1800 353 374. This is not a crisis support line.

If you are in immediate danger, call 000 and ask for the emergency service relevant to the situation, i.e. police, fire service or ambulance. 

Alternatively, if you are seeking help during a crisis, you can access free counselling through 24/7 services such as Beyond Blue by calling 1300 224 636 or visiting the website. 

What are your thoughts on the new elder abuse awareness campaign?

Let the team at Talking Aged Care know on social media. 

For more information and news in the aged care industry, subscribe to our free newsletter. 

Relevant content:

Two years of education can impact the way you age

Up to 33 percent of older Aussies could be at risk of gambling harm

Could Micro Towns be the future of dementia care?