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Elder Abuse

Elder abuse is widely accepted, as being any act which causes harm to an older person and occurs within an informal relationship of trust, such as family or friends.  This can include:

  • Financial or material abuse
  • Emotional or psychological abuse
  • Physical abuse
  • Sexual abuse
  • Social abuse
  • Neglect

Research shows that three out of five people who abuse older people are their adult children or their spouse or defacto partner.  However, abuse of older people can also occur in institutional care, such as an aged care facility or hospital, or in the community and involve paid carers. 

Research indicates that those most vulnerable to being abused are people aged over 75 years.  The most commonly identified risk factors prevalent among this age group are dependency and isolation.  As the proportion of older people continues to grow, the issue of elder abuse is anticipated to increase in magnitude.

Older People’s Rights

Abuse and exploitation of older people can only be dealt with when it is not a secret.  To help inform older people about their rights, the Office for Seniors Interests and Volunteering has produced a brochure, Older People's Rights. Download the Older People's Rights (PDF,729kb) PDF version or contact the Seniors Telephone Information Service for copies on Tel: 08 6217 8855, 1800 671 233 or email at osi@communities.wa.gov.au.

Older People's Rights Service
 
The Older People's Rights Service provides legal advice, information and legal advocacy; short-term counselling; and referral to older people who are experiencing elder abuse, or are at risk of being abused. 
Call 9440 1663 between 9.00am and 5.00pm, Monday to Friday.

Alliance for the Prevention of Elder Abuse: Western Australia

The Alliance for the Prevention of Elder Abuse: WA (APEA:WA) promotes a whole-of-government policy framework that values older people and supports the rights of older people.

APEA:WA brings together Western Australian key organisations that are involved with older people and their family and friends who are experiencing elder abuse.  These organisations comprise:

  • An Aboriginal representative
  • Advocare
  • Department of Health
  • Disability Services Commission
  • Legal Aid Western Australia
  • Office for Seniors Interests and Volunteering
  • Office of the Chief Psychiatrist
  • Public Advocate
  • Public Trustee
  • WA Police

The goals of APEA:WA are:

  • To raise community knowledge and understanding of elder abuse;
  • To provide policy advice on elder abuse;
  • To expand the breadth and quality of knowledge of elder abuse;
  • To support provision of adequate elder abuse prevention and protection services; and
  • To promote professional education and training in elder abuse issues.

APEA:WA is an initiative of Advocare, the Department of Health and the Western Australian Active Ageing Strategy.  For further information go to http://apeawa.advocare.org.au/

Advocare’s Elder Abuse Prevention Program

Advocare’s Elder Abuse Prevention Program supports older adults in Western Australia who are being abused, or at risk of being abused, by someone with whom they are in a relationship of trust, such as family or friends.  The program’s advocates work in consultation with the older person, either directly, or with their nominated representative.  Metropolitan callers can contact Advocare on 9221 8599 and country callers on 1800 655 566.

Western Australian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse

The Western Australian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (WANPEA is an informal network of service providers and other interested people who meet every two months to exchange information in relation to elder abuse.  Contact Advocare on 9221 8599 if you would like further information about the network.

City of Joondalup Prevention of Elder Abuse Network

The City of Joondalup Prevention of Elder Abuse Network is the first network of its kind in Western Australia in which a local government is both coordinating and sponsoring an elder abuse network and its activities.  Representatives from a range of services for older people attend the quarterly meetings to exchange information with the aim of supporting older people who are experiencing elder abuse or who are at risk of abuse and are living in the Joondalup region.  For further information go to http://www.elderabuse.joondalup.wa.gov.au/

Research

Elder abuse in Western Australia

In mid-2002, the Office for Seniors Interests and Volunteering commissioned Curtin University’s Freemasons Centre for Research into Aged Care Services to conduct research into elder abuse in Western Australia.  The research identified that:

  • People aged 75 years old and over are the most likely to experience elder abuse;
  • Financial abuse is the most common type of abuse;
  • Three out of four people who abuse older people are their adult children or their spouse or defacto partner;
  • Approximately three-quarters of known cases of elder abuse were estimated to have a decision making disability and nearly one half had a significant physical disability; and
  • Western Australian women are two and a half times more likely to experience elder abuse than men.

Download the Elder Abuse in Western Australia - 2002 (PDF, 36kb) report here.

Other Research

Advocare’s Speak Out Survey (SOS)

SOS was the result of a week-long, state-wide elder abuse telephone survey conducted in September 2002.  The report includes the survey findings and relevant discussion about elder abuse in Western Australia.  Go to http://www.advocare.org.au/ for a copy of the report.

Mistreatment of Older People in Aboriginal Communities

In 2005, the Office of the Public Advocate commissioned research to identify and develop local responses to elder abuse and the mistreatment and neglect of older people in Aboriginal communities.  The research found that financial abuse of elder Aboriginal people was the most commonly reported abuse.  This could range from harassment for money on pension day and neglect by people receiving support to care for them to, in some cases, physical abuse or robbery.   The research also found that the impact of elder abuse was felt earlier among Aboriginal people where the mortality age was lower and an older person was often considered to be someone in their 40s.

The Public Advocate and the Office for Seniors Interests and Volunteering are currently examining the recommendations to identify appropriate strategies for consideration by the State Government.

Elder Abuse in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities
The Office of the Public Advocate is also undertaking research into elder abuse in culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities.   A report on the research is due for release early in 2006.