Hundreds meet to tackle Elder Abuse
One in six older Australians experiences abuse. The country’s top minds from the sector are coming together on the Gold Coast this week to push for solutions.
More than 400 people have descended on the Gold Coast this week for the national Stand Up, Speak Out Australian Elder Abuse Conference, including a lively debate on whether elder abuse should be a standalone criminal offence.
The conference brings together experts, researchers, advocates, policymakers, frontline professionals, and people with lived experience to tackle what organisers said was the country’s least recognised forms of human rights abuse.
It kicked off on Monday with a keynote from Australia’s Aged Care Inspector-General Natalie Siegel-Brown, in one of her last public appearances before resigning from the position on July 31.
Elder Abuse Action Australia (EAAA) executive officer Bev Lange said the first day was extremely well received.
“Our keynote speaker Natalie Siegel-Brown reinforced that silence is not evidence of safety,” Lange said. “This reminds us that older people are the rights holders in terms of being heard and responsibility for reporting abuse should not rest solely with them.”
“This responsibility remains across all governments and providers to build policies systems and process where the rights of older people are central.”
Later today, seven legal minds, including Queensland District Court’s Chief Magistrate Janelle Brassington and Former Court of Appeal President Margaret McMurdo AC, will debate whether elder abuse should be its own standalone criminal offence. Currently, abuse of an older person can fall into existing criminal laws such as assault, fraud or theft.
The Australian Human Rights Commission will also lead an interactive workshop on tackling financial abuse, which it said was one of the most common forms of elder abuse.
In 2024-25 Queensland’s Elder Abuse Prevention Unit Helpline received about 1800 calls about financial abuse, which made up about 70 per cent of its enquiries.
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Melbourne comedian and author of We need to talk about mum and dad: a practical guide to parenting our ageing parents, Jean Kittson, also spoke to the conference on Monday, sharing the distressing consequences of delayed care, poor communication, neglect and a lack of dignity.
Other sessions throughout the three-day conference will examine human rights, decision-making, ageism, coercive control and practical reforms.
Speakers will also explore how stronger connections between generations can help prevent abuse and reduce isolation.
Celebrate Ageing CEO Dr Catherine Barrett also spoke on the Monday about changing the perception around ageing, saying “when we are more positive about growing older ourselves, we become more positive about older people”.
“It’s not a small thing – but it is an important thing. Research has shown that positive attitudes toward our ageing can increase our life expectancy by 7.5 years,” Barrett said.
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