Safety for seniors: a non-negotiable right

Safety for seniors: a non-negotiable right
By Susan Johnson M (Counselling) Associate, Consultivation

On the 2 August 2016 The Third Sector, a professional news site, released an article on the Aged and Community Services SA NT (ACS)  request for  'considered approach in responding to the recent elder abuse reported in the Mitcham Residential Care Facility'.

Consultivation agrees with the ACS saying thank you Aged and Community Services SA & NT (ACS) for calling for a considered approach to responding to elder abuse as a result of the reported incident in the Mitcham Residential Care Facility.

Having worked in abuse prevention for over thirty years it continues to horrify me that the rights of some of our most vulnerable people continue to be negated and abused. Elder abuse insidiously takes place in private, behind closed doors and is frequently perpetrated by someone in a relationship, role or position that implies trust.

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Situations of elder abuse are under-reported for a wide variety of reasons. The victim may be too frail or impaired to speak out about the abuse, may be socially isolated, be financially dependent on their abuser, feel ashamed that they are being abused or indeed may fear retribution at the hands of the abuser if they speak to someone about it.

As such many victims of elder abuse are imprisoned in a cocoon of silence at the mercy of people who all too often call themselves ‘carers’. It is way past time for Australia to take a consolidated, considered and effective approach to elder abuse prevention. In the later years of their lives surely older people have the right to live safely at home and in their community and live with dignity and respect irrelevant of their age, ability or socio economic status.

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Consultivation is an independent consultancy service driven by an ethical values base working with community services and government to implement positive change.

Consultivation: cultivating a movement against elder abuse.

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