Today is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), an opportunity to promote awareness of elder abuse and its impacts on the health, wellbeing and independence of older people in our community. It also offers the chance to reflect on our role in identifying and responding to this form of family violence.
Elder Abuse is often carried out by someone in a position of trust, such as a family member, carer, or neighbour. It can take many forms including financial abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological or emotional abuse, and neglect.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen an increase in cases and a higher risk for those experiencing this type of abuse.
According to Respect Victoria, up to 14.8 per cent of older people in Australia have experienced elder abuse, with older women more likely to be victims. Worryingly, 61 per cent of older people don’t seek help when they are abused. Therefore, it is important to familiarise yourself with the signs of elder abuse and understand the process of responding to suspected elder abuse.
Preventing elder abuse – Call it out
At Monash Health, we remain committed to educating and increasing employee understanding of how to recognise and respond to elder abuse. Everyone has the right to be treated equally, regardless of age or gender.
We encourage Monash Employees to take some time to watch the videos below:
Call out ageism and sexism
Ageism and sexism are forms of discrimination based on outdated stereotypes and assumptions, particularly that men are superior to women. For older people, these types of discrimination can lead to isolation, shame, and abuse.
We can take an active role and call out behaviours that encourage sexism and ageism:
- call out or not laugh at jokes or comments that discriminate against older people based on age and gender
- think about any unconscious biases you may hold and understand how ageism and sexism can affect the older people in your life or how you speak to or about them
- become an advocate in our workplace and encourage the inclusion of older people, in particular, older women
Lead with respect and connection
One of the easiest ways we can help prevent elder abuse is to lead with respect and foster a positive attitude. This can be demonstrated through:
- valuing the contribution and voice of older people in our workforce
- promoting and seeking opinions and expertise of older people, where appropriate
- supporting young people to have mutually respectful, caring relationships with older relatives and people
Change starts with us. By calling out ageism and sexism, we can promote a workplace of inclusion and respect.
Join us online
To learn more about elder abuse and acknowledge WEAAD, join us Friday 17 June at 10am via Webex. Her Honour, Magistrate Goldsbrough, will discuss the importance of tailoring intervention orders to provide better outcomes to keep older people safe. This will be followed by a Q&A session with an expert elder abuse panel.
Learn more about our role
To understand the role we play at Monash Health or to learn more about responding to suspected elder abuse you can:
- Contact Monash Health Elder Abuse Liaison Officer, Selina Nivelle for advice or support on
0431 453 950 or Selina.Nivelle@monashhealth.org - Read the Monash Health Family Violence Clinical Guideline which can be downloaded from Prompt.
- Visit the Monash Health elder abuse intranet page.
- Complete your training on Latte.
- Attend one of our manager webinar sessions.
- Visit the Seniors Right Victoria website.
- Visit the Australian Human Rights Commission website.
- Visit Better Place Australia for advice and support for the elderly who may be experiencing abuse.
Approved by Katrina Nankervis