Elder Abuse programs receive grants

Nearly $170,000 has been awarded to three organisations aimed at helping raise capacity to recognise elder abuse and give older people pathways for independent advice.

Posted January 27th 2017

by Margot White

Elder Abuse

As part of the State Trustees Australia Foundation Elder Abuse Prevention and Response grants program, Relationships Australia Victoria was awarded $32,000 to develop resources to help older people and their adult children plan a family route for ageing. This includes financial and co-habitation arrangements.

Just over $50,000 was awarded to National Ageing Research Institute (NARI) to engage community health workers, carers and other health professionals to determine the most effective existing elder abuse screening tool. The project will also produce guidelines on the use of the tool, including direction for what to do next and where to seek help and support.

To document and develop a best practice model for the creation of an Elder Abuse Prevention Network, a grant of $85,000 was awarded to Seniors Rights Victoria, through the Council on the Ageing (COTA) Vic. Five networks will be set up throughout Victoria as part of the Government response to the Royal Commission into Family Violence. Networks link local organisations – health centres, council home carers, and seniors clubs to identify and make appropriate elder abuse referrals.

State Trustees Australia Foundation has a strong focus on helping those disadvantaged by ageing, disability and mental health, and its Elder Abuse Prevention and response grants program is an extension of the Foundation’s philanthropic commitment to the area of Ageing Well.

The Foundation requested applications that build the capacity for community health workers and carers to recognise elder abuse and give older people pathways for independent advice. The program seeks to build awareness and help older people assert their rights while staying socially connected. The trial grants program has been highly successful in attracting a large number of applications.

State Trustees Executive General Manager Melanie Lewis believes this is the first time in Australia that a grants program has focused solely on elder abuse. “The response demonstrates an emerging area of need within the community,’ she says.