Elderly abuse a silent shame

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IT IS not a topic often broached, but the issue of elderly abuse is not only serious, but also more common than many would think.

Lifeline's Elder Abuse Prevention Unit estimates about 30,000 Queenslanders over 65 will be abused in 2011 and is working with research partners to conduct the first Australian prevalence study.

As yet, no research about the prevalence of elderly abuse has been conducted, despite the fact that in 2009/10 the EAPU helpline recorded 829 abusers in Queensland alone, 63% of which were related to older people.

Maya Zetlin, senior officer of Lifeline's elder abuse prevention unit, said one of the trickiest parts about dealing with elderly abuse is that most frequent abusers come from within the elderly person's family.

“It's a very special relationship (between family members) and not many people want to rock the boat by complaining, or ‘dobbing in' their own children,” Ms Zetlin said.

“There's fear of being cut off from the rest of the family, a fear of not being able to see their grandchildren – it's tricky because often the people they are being abused by are the people they most want to keep in their life.”

Elderly abuse is defined by the World Health Organisation to be 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 the older person.

This does not include criminal acts by a stranger, self-neglect or scams that target seniors.

If you are experiencing or suspect elder abuse, call the EAPU Helpline on 1300 651192.

Types of abuse

• Psychological abuse accounted for 46% of elderly abuse cases reported to EAPU in 2010. It can come in a variety of forms, from minimising the importance of elderly people to over protecting or generalising them.
• Financial abuse accounted for 30% of elderly abuse cases reported to EAPU in 2010. It can be overt, such as pressuring an elderly person to give an enduring power of attorney to someone else or as covert as encouraging or pushing the elderly person to make gifts or to financially assist their children.
• Neglect is the failure of a carer to provide the necessities of life to a person they are caring for. It can be intentional or unintentional.