One in six older people experience some form of abuse, mistreatment or harm. Despite this high prevalence, the abuse of older people (elder abuse) is one of the least well understood forms of family and domestic violence.
The abuse and mistreatment of older people is a complex social issue. It occurs across all societies, cultures and socio-economic groups in varying forms, contexts, and relationships. Effective responses therefore require commitment from all levels of government and demand evidence-based policy and practice in multiple relevant sectors, including legal, financial, health and care services, policing and statutory responses.
The SAGE Futures Lab is involved in several research initiatives relating to the abuse of older people. Our research engages policy actors across sectors, and offers a sociological contribution to this field, where criminological, legal and health research dominate. We emphasise holistic, integrated, and interdisciplinary research and responses and always aim to foreground the lived experiences of older adults.
No More Shame: Changing health providers recognition and response to elder abuse to reduce associated stigma
The No More Shame study, led by Professor Bianca Brijnath at the National Ageing Research Institute with funding from the Medical Research Futures Fund, aims to address the stigma of elder abuse by improving its recognition, response, and referral by health providers.
This multi-component intervention will comprise a co-designed training program and screening tool for health providers who work with older people in hospitals. The study is an RCT with health providers and older people across 10 hospital sites in WA, VIC, SA and NSW (5 control and 5 intervention). The outcomes of the trial are significant and measurable improvements in health providers’ knowledge of elder abuse and ageist attitudes; hospitals detection and responses to elder abuse; and older people’s sense of safety, quality of life, and mental health. Dr Catriona Stevens is a CI on this study will coordinate the WA sites participating in this trial.
Best practice guidelines for interviewing older people at risk
It is important that professionals who encounter older people at risk of or experiencing harm know how to respond to those communication needs so they can effectively engage in conversations, earn trust, and understand personal circumstances before they become even more acute.
Research into responses to the abuse of older people in Western Australia identified a need for resources to support professionals working with older people. In 2023, ECU SAGE Lab researchers conducted research in collaboration with the Older People’s Rights Service at Northern Suburbs Community Legal Centre to develop this accessible and evidence-based resource.
The Guidelines feature a range of interviewing best practice guidelines including working with complex life histories and family dynamics; ageism: recognising and addressing biases; interviewing diverse older adults; advance preparation for interviews; interview environments and arrangements; strategies and techniques; and closure, advice and follow-up action.
The Guidelines were developed with input from an advisory group comprising representatives of the following organisations: Advocare, Council on the Ageing WA (COTA WA), Northern Suburbs Community Legal Centre, Centre for Women's Safety and Wellbeing; Office of the Commissioner for Victims of Crime, WA Department of Communities and WA Police Force.
Download and read the 'Best practice guidelines for interviewing older people'.
Everyone’s Business: Research into responses to the abuse of older people in Western Australia
This study (2020-22) was commissioned as a component of the WA Strategy to Respond to the Abuse of Older People (Elder Abuse) 2019-2029. Over 750 participants contributed to this research, making it the largest study of its kind yet conducted in Western Australia. Participants were consulted from a wide range of sectors including advocacy, aged care, community organisations, counselling, financial services, guardianship, health, legal services, local government, mediation, and police.
The study delivered new findings in relation to the following core research objectives:
- understanding the types of abuse experienced by older people in Western Australia;
- mapping agency and service provider responses and referral pathways to understand the ‘service journey’ of older people experiencing or at risk of abuse;
- exploring best practice recommendations that are suited to Western Australian conditions, taking account of existing resources; and
- develop a clearer understanding of the distinctive experiences and needs of older people. This includes people living in regional, rural, and remote Western Australia but also diverse populations, including CaLD and LGBTIQ+ older people, who are known to have unique needs and experiences, lower rates of service access and who may be at greater risk of abuse.
Download and read the Final Report from this study.
Funding agencies
- No More Shame is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care through the Medical Research Future Fund, MRF2015995.
- Best Practice Guidelines for Interviewing Older People were funded by WA Department of Communities.
- The research leading to final report ‘Everyone’s Business’ was commissioned as a component of the WA Strategy to Respond to the Abuse of Older People (Elder Abuse) 2019-2029.
Project duration
- No More Shame – 2023-2026
- Best Practice Guidelines – 2023
- Everyone’s Business: Research into responses to the abuse of older people in WA 2020-2022
Publications
- Stevens, C., Baldassar, L., O’Brien, E., Cokis, E., Krzyzowski, L., Du Plooy, M.G.C., Jones, B., Noonan, G. & Ottolini, F. (2023). Everyone’s business: Research into responses to the abuse of older people (elder abuse) in Western Australia. Perth: Social Ageing (SAGE) Futures Lab.
- Stevens, C., Du Plooy, M.G.C., & Baldassar, L. (2023). Best Practice Guidelines for Interviewing Older People at Risk. Perth: Northern Suburbs Community Legal Centre.
- About 1 in 6 older Australians experiences elder abuse. Here are the reasons they don’t get help
Researchers
