Australian Government launches campaign to raise awareness of the ‘abuse of older people’
MEDIA RELEASE
Australian Government launches campaign to raise awareness of the ‘abuse of older people’
Ending the abuse of older people begins with a conversation.
29 July 2024
The Australian Government has launched its campaign ‘Ending the abuse of older people begins with a conversation’. The campaign aims to encourage conversations within the community on this issue and increase awareness that there is help and support available.
According to the National Elder Abuse Prevalence Study[1], most of the people (62%) who reported experiencing abuse did not seek help or advice from third parties. From the subtypes of abuse experienced, older people were most likely to seek help for psychological (51.3%) and physical (50.3%) abuse while least likely to get help or advice for neglect (14.8%).
These findings reveal that in addition to an overall hesitancy to speak up about the experiences of abuse, there might be some forms of abuse that older people, and society at large, do not recognise, making it critical to have conversations to uncover instances that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Abuse of older people:
• is a single or repeated act that causes harm to an older person
• can be carried out by someone the older person knows and trusts, including a family member, friend, professional, or caregiver
• affects all genders, cultures, faiths, and communities
A range of translated information and resources is available in Arabic, Cantonese, Greek, Italian, Mandarin, and Vietnamese to support communities in starting a conversation. Head to compass.info/campaign/beginswithaconversation/language to view and download the translated information.
As a community, we want to support olde r people who might be experiencing abuse.
Abuse isn’t always obvious or visible, it could just be a feeling that something isn’t right.
“Abuse of older people is a shameful and often hidden form of cruelty and mistreatment. One in six older Australians have experienced some form of abuse, yet most of them don’t seek help or advice,” said Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus.
“We want older Australians to live enjoying longer, fulfilling lives, free from abuse,” he said.
Ending the abuse of older people begins with a conversation. If you are experiencing abuse, or know someone who may be experiencing abuse, there is help and support available.
Where to find support:
- Talk to someone you trust – this could be a family member, close friend, healthcare worker or someone else in the community.
- Call 1800ELDERHelp (1800 353 374) – this is a free, confidential and easy to access service. A person will talk to you and provide you with information about services and supports to assist you or the person you are calling to support. However, please remember this is not a crisis support line and operating hours vary across states and territories.
- Visit compass.info – this is a national website that raises awareness of the abuse of older people and supports available. For more information visit: www.compass.info/
Reading about abuse can bring up strong feelings. Support is available. For 24/7 support, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or 13YARN (13 92 76) for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander crisis support.
[1] Australian Institute of Family Studies. 2021. National Elder Abuse Prevalence Study: Final Report. July 2021
