June 15th is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) declared by the United Nations, which aims to raise awareness of elder abuse and neglect.
Elder abuse is any act within a relationship of trust which results in harm to an older person. The most common forms of elder abuse include emotional abuse, financial abuse, physical abuse and neglect.
Today ICH joins WEAAD Queensland (http://www.weaadqld.com/) to encourage a more secured, respectful and welcoming environment for our senior community members.
Elder abuse is a serious issue that can affect anyone regardless of culture, education and socioeconomic status. According to the Elderly Abuse Prevention Unit (EAPU) Coordinator Les Jackson, there is particularly a rise of financial abuse happening in Queensland, with about $58 million reportedly stolen from elderly victims last year.
“In some cases we see people moving in with their older parents, not wanting to care for them but just to collect the carers’ payment, so they don’t have to go on the dole.”
As part of the solution, Mr. Jackson advised older people in Queenland “to stay connected with their communities, and for communities to be inclusive of them”. At ICH, we always welcome any individual to join our “50 & Better” Healthy Ageing Programs (Skylarkers and Acacia Ridge) for social support and engaging activities that can minimise elder abuse risk.
If you are or know someone experiencing elder abuse, please contact the UnitingCare Community’s Elder Abuse Helpline – via phone 1300 651 192 (Queensland only) or 07 3867 2525 (rest of Australia), Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. The helpline is a confidential service with the option to stay anonymous.
For further information and resources, visit the Elder Abuse Prevention Unit (EAPU) official website (http://www.eapu.com.au/). You can also follow EAPU on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/eapuqlducc) and Twitter (@ElderAbuseQld).
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Sources:
http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2015/04/16/4217482.htm
https://www.communities.qld.gov.au/communityservices/violence-prevention/trust-your-instinct/elder-abuse
http://mysunshinecoast.com.au/news/news-display/seniors-expo-puts-elder-abuse-in-the-spotlight,38804