Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Manufacturing) Share this | Hansard source

Yesterday, 15 June, was World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, a day designated by the United Nations for the world to voice its opposition to the abuse and suffering inflicted on older people around the world. That people around the world are living longer should be seen as progress. In Australia, over 14 per cent of the population are aged over 65 years, with that figure projected to double by the year 2060. A downside to living longer is that, as people age, they tend to become more dependent on others and more vulnerable. Their vulnerability underlies a very serious and widespread social problem that is rarely acknowledged or openly spoken about, and I refer to elder abuse.

Elder abuse can be physical, sexual, financial, emotional, medical or simple neglect. It can occur within the family home or within institutional care facilities. It can even result in violent death, as has occurred in several cases in Australia in recent years. Elder abuse includes parents being pushed into an aged-care facility so that their children can take control of their home and other assets; parents being coaxed or pressured by family members into making financial decisions, including changing their wills, which they would have preferred not to have done; elderly people being seriously neglected in institutional care; elderly people being excessively sedated so that they are easier to care for; elderly people being scammed of their money by family and non-family members; and elderly people living in daily fear because their partner has dementia, or an adult child has a drug dependency problem, both of which can lead to erratic behaviour; and elderly people being targeted as easy victims by petty criminals and drug addicts. These are not isolated examples but common occurrences throughout the world.

Whilst the figures are difficult to ascertain, World Health Organization data indicates that between four and six per cent of older people are abused each year. Some reports suggest that the figure could be as high as 10 per cent, whilst a recent US study concluded that 1.5 to two million elderly Americans are abused every year. With 4.7 million Australians aged over 65 years, the figures suggest that each year over 200,000 elderly Australians are in some way abused. If that level of abuse were occurring in any other sector of society there would be an understandable public outcry for government intervention. Regrettably, rather than that being the case, public conversation about older people and longevity focuses on medical costs, aged care services and the diminishing ratio of working people to retirees.

One of the reasons why this issue is brushed aside so often is that about 90 per cent of the abuse is perpetrated by family members, with around two thirds of the perpetrators being adult children of those abused. Out of pride or embarrassment, the abuse is not reported either by the elderly or by other family members who become aware of it; in turn, it is never acted upon. Cultural practices can also be a barrier for victims.

As a society we have rightly taken a strong stance against child abuse and domestic violence by raising public awareness, openly talking about the issue and establishing support mechanisms for those abused. We have not acted similarly against elder abuse and too many elderly people suffer in silence, often living in fear and with a loss of dignity. Here in Australia, other than some compulsory reporting requirements for physical and sexual abuse in residential care facilities, there is no legislation that specifically addresses elder abuse. Under the criminal law there are no specific offences targeting abuses against the aged. There is no excuse for elder abuse nor for turning a blind eye to it. It is not okay. We all have a responsibility to step in and stop it wherever it occurs.

I am pleased to see that today in Adelaide there is a national World Elder Abuse Awareness Day conference. Amongst the several expert presenters speaking at the conference is Dr Alexandre Kalache, who is President of the International Longevity Centre in Brazil and who was in 1997 a founding member of the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse. It was that network that led to the United Nations resolution. It is good to see that this issue is finally being spoken of openly and that some steps are being taken, but, as a society, we need to do a lot more.

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