By TOM HAYES

 

THE seriousness of elder abuse was recently highlighted during an aged care visit to Benetas in Traralgon.

Elder Rights Advocacy was joined by the local Proactive Police Unit to focus on elder abuse and what it consists of in Victoria.

In Victoria, the number of people aged over 65 who have experienced elder abuse has risen by 35 per cent since 2020, according to the Victorian Crime database.

Hopes to raise awareness of elder abuse and reporting to police in conjunction with the aged care sector began earlier this year when Elder Rights Advocacy Chief Executive, Debra Nicholl engaged in talks with Victoria Police.

As talks between the two progressed, Elder Rights Advocacy Education Manager, Briony Underwood was tasked to lead the project from their point of view, and work with Victoria Police Committee Portfolio Manager, Priority and Safer Communities, Chris Lee to deliver the Stronger Together project.

Stronger Together is a project running place-based events to strengthen partnerships between police, aged care providers, older people, families, and advocates to tackle elder abuse and incidents in aged care, aiming to increase reporting to police, and raise awareness and referrals to victim support services.

“We know that elder abuse is underreported,” Ms Underwood told the Express.

“We talk to staff about what elder abuse is, how to recognise it, how to respond to it, and the reporting that is involved and how to report to police and communicate to them in a way they will understand.”

Ms Underwood explained that people who are confronted with elder abuse often don’t know how to report it, creating difficulties when conversing with police.

Elder abuse could also fall into the same banner as domestic violence, but how it is reported can determine which path police begin to take.

The fact that elder abuse is underreported is believed to be a mixture of the following:

Reporters are hesitant to come forward;

Older people don’t realise they are being abused; or,

People are unsure of what elder abuse consists of.

Police units from all over the state were advised to express interest, for a seminar to be set up locally. Inspector, Eastern Region Division 5, Tasking and Coordination Unit, Sonali Deshpande showed interest, hence the talk at Benetas in Traralgon.

Insp Deshpande said she was alerted of the program through the Priority and Safer Communities Division, and was keen to have this awareness spread throughout the Latrobe Valley.

“I learnt that we are the first police jurisdiction to partner with the aged care sector to build awareness of the reporting of elder abuse and to stop the abuse of older people,” Insp Deshpande said.

The visit to Benetas, Traralgon was the third conducted around the state, after Elder Rights Advocacy teamed up with police units from St Kilda and Coburg previously.

As a conglomerate, Elder Rights Advocacy, police officers from the Latrobe Valley, and the Victim Assistance Program teamed up to educate staff at Benetas about all things elder abuse.

Staff are taught the types of elder abuse, who the culprits are most likely to be, and most importantly – how to report it.

“With the aged care staff sessions, we really hope it increases reporting of elder abuse – that’s the aim,” Ms Underwood said.

“So too, strengthening partnerships with police, aged care providers, older people, and advocates to increase the reporting of elder abuse.”

Insp Deshpande contributed to the visit, helping the audience see things from a police point of view.

“My role is to oversight the team who works in the proactive policing space, so I predominantly work in the area that is actively building up and developing partnerships with various community stakeholders, so we are able to serve the community in the best way possible,” she said.

Ms Underwood elaborated on what the aged care workers were taught by Elder Rights Advocacy and Victoria Police.

“Elder abuse can consist in many forms. People over the age of 65 are often classed as an ‘older person’ or ‘an elder’, while for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders it is over 50-years-old,” she said.

“Elder abuse can include a single or repeated act of harm to an older person. There is physical, sexual, emotional, neglect, (and) financial abuse.

“The one we most commonly see is financial elder abuse.”

Insp Deshpande said that Victoria Police is “constantly looking at various different kinds of abuse, of which elder abuse constitutes one of them”.

She hopes that workers within the aged care sector now have better knowledge of elder abuse, and how to properly report it to police.

In 2023, there was 6343 reports of elder abuse, but Insp Deshpande said: “I am sure that there is more of it happening in the community which is still underreported. The reason for that isn’t ignorance in the community or in the aged care industry”.

It was discovered that one in six older people experience elder abuse in their lifetime. In one in two cases, the perpetrator is a family member or trusted person, while in one in three cases the victim has sought help through a third party.

“That’s also a reason why the police don’t know how to respond, because obviously there is family violence and elder abuse does fit into that category as well,” Ms Underwood added.

“Abuse is abuse. It could be assault, theft, someone vulnerable could be isolated away from the community.”

At specific resident sessions, elder abuse is taught to older people to help them stay informed to know if they have been abused, how to report it, as well as what support is available for them.

Recently, Elder Rights Advocacy also held a community-based forum in Sunbury, which saw Victoria Police and the state government cyber security team partner to deliver important safety messages to older people.

Ms Underwood said Elder Rights Advocacy is hoping to hold a forum in Gippsland in the future.

If you or anyone to know has experienced elder abuse, contact Elder Rights Advocacy on 1800 700 600, or visit: elderrights.org.au