Australian gov't launches campaign to end elder abuse

Australia's Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus described the exploitation of older Australians as a shameful and often hidden form of cruelty and mistreatment. [iStockPhoto]

The Australian government has launched a new campaign to end elder abuse.

In a speech to the National Elder Abuse Conference in Adelaide on Monday, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus described the exploitation of older Australians as a shameful and often hidden form of cruelty and mistreatment.

He announced 4.8 million Australian dollars (3.2 million U.S. dollars) in funding for a national advertising campaign to raise awareness about elder abuse.

According to a government study published in 2021, one in six older Australians had experienced abuse in the previous 12 months but over 60 percent did not seek help or advice.

"If an older person does not feel that they can reach out for help, then we have failed them," Dreyfus said on Monday.

"In addition to physical abuse, elder abuse can involve psychological or emotional abuse, financial abuse, sexual abuse or neglect. It is ugly, it is unacceptable and it must be eliminated."

The advertising campaign, which will run on television, online and in health clinics around the country, will encourage Australians to have conversations about elder abuse to increase awareness of the issue and available support measures.

Dreyfus said Australia's aging population brings greater urgency to addressing elder abuse.

Australia's Age Discrimination Commissioner Robert Fitzgerald, in June called for the country's retirement living industry to implement new nationwide strategies to better identify and respond to the abuse of residents.

He cited a 2023 study conducted by the New South Wales Retirement Village Residents Association that found the most common form of abuse in retirement villages is resident-on-resident.