Elder Abuse Awareness Day – 15 June
Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) was established by the World Health Organization at the United Nations to provide an opportunity for communities around the world to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons.
Every year on June 15, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) is recognised in communities across Australia to awareness about the older adults who experience elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation.
The most recent study of elder abuse prevalence in Australia found that 14.8% of those 65 years and over had experienced at least one recognised form of elder abuse over the previous 12 months.
In many parts of the world, elder abuse occurs with little recognition or response. Until recently, this serious social problem was hidden from the public view and considered mostly a private matter. Even today, elder abuse continues to be a taboo, mostly underestimated and ignored.
This time last year, the Retirement Village Residents’ Association of NSW released a report which would bring this topic front and centre in the minds of retirement village operators and regulators around the country.
Their report, Ageing Without Fear, revealed that 40% of residents in a retirement village had suffered some form of abuse across a sample of 1,259 within 140 retirement villages.
The most commonly reported types of abuse were Patronisation (31%), followed by Harassment (20%) and Intimidation (20%).
Recently, the DCM Institute’s Executive Director, James Wiltshire, sat down with the outgoing NSW Ageing and Disability Commissioner, Robert Fitgerald AM, who said:
“I think it’s simply bad business if you have a retirement village where abuse exists, and it’s not dealt with quickly and appropriately.”
Training and Support
Mr Fitzgerald went on to say that that mere awareness is insufficient, highlighting the need for village operators to have proactive measures in place, and to train their staff in recognising the early signs of elder abuse.
The DCM Institute’s Village Manager Professional Development Program sees training on Elder Abuse as a must, which is why there is a topic on hand in the Knowledge Centre for participants to access to ensure they are aware of what to look for, and what to do.
This training has been designed to ensure operators in NSW, specifically, are compliant with the Rule 10 of the Rules of Conduct, which has penalty units attached for non-compliance.
About Elder Abuse
Elder abuse has been defined by the World Health Organization as ‘a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person’.
Elder abuse can take various forms, including: financial, physical, psychological, emotional and sexual abuse, or neglect. No older person should be subjected to any form of abuse.
Until recently, this serious social problem was hidden from the public view and considered mostly a private matter.
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