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When her husband Bruce died without life insurance, Valery had to confront the challenge of paying a mortgage even though she wasn’t working.
Her daughter suggested she sell the house and move in with her and her family. It seemed like a good solution and Valery thought it fair to put the left over money from the sale of the house towards her daughter’s mortgage.
Three months later, however, things had changed. There had been arguments with her daughter and son-in-law and Valery was living in fear that she would say or do the wrong thing. No longer feeling welcome or happy in the house, she eventually left with no home of her own to go to and scared that she would end up homeless.
For Victorian-based elder abuse prevention advocate Dr Becky Nevin Berger, stories like Valery’s are ones she’s heard many times, about elderly people who have ended up in dire situations as victims of elder abuse carried out by someone they trust such as family, a friend, or carer.
And she says that with the combination of an ageing population, the pressures of rising cost-of-living, home prices and the rental crisis, plus the prevalence of ageism in our society, the incidences of elder abuse in its different forms, financial, psychological or physical, are continuing to increase.
“We know that around 14 per cent of older people will experience elder abuse so just the demographic changes with the ageing population means it’s growing, and particularly in regional areas which are ageing faster than metropolitan areas,” she said. “In the region that I work in in regional Victoria, in Warrnambool, already 25 per cent of the population is over 65 and by 2030 it will be more than 30 per cent.
“And there are the other pressures that we’re seeing, around housing affordability and availability and rising cost of living, combined with the issues of inheritance impatience and all of the other factors that contribute.”
Helping to prevent elder abuse is something that everyone can play a role in.
As part of her work with the Everybody’s Business, Elder Abuse Prevention Network, Dr Nevin Berger created a free booklet Elder Abuse – Stories to Understand aimed at raising awareness about elder abuse and how it can be prevented, while also empowering the community to take action against it.
It includes a series of stories about situations of elder abuse as well as tips for preventing abuse from the Commissioner for Senior Victorians, Gerard Mansours.
Importantly, the booklet also includes a comprehensive list of services people can access for support if they are concerned about themselves or a loved one or friend.
“Unfortunately, many people have probably seen or heard of a situation in which an older person has been treated unfairly, taken advantage of, or had their rights violated,” said Dr Nevin Berger.
“But in these cases we might not know what to do or where to get help. We wanted to make sure this booklet included a whole list of different services people may be able to lead a loved one to or be able to access themselves.
“No-one is entitled to treat an older person, family member or otherwise in a manner that leaves them in fear or harms them, and there are things that can be done to stop it.”
In Valery’s situation, locating the right help meant she was able to find a place to call home and to reconnect with her daughter.
A friend told her about Home at Last, a housing support service for older people run by Housing for the Aged Action Group, and she was offered a new public housing property. She also spoke with Seniors Rights Victoria who helped her manage the situation with her daughter.
Helping to address the drivers of elder abuse is also a way the community can take action to prevent it, said Dr Nevin Berger. One of those drivers is the prevalence of ageism in Australia.
“While clear evidence on these drivers is still emerging, we know that the drivers of gendered violence against women, including gender inequality intersect with ageism in the experience of family violence for older women,” she said.
“We also know that ageism and entitlement interact in elder abuse that is experienced by both men and women. Each of us has a role to play in challenging the assumptions and practices that put people at risk of elder abuse, and this includes challenging ageism everywhere from our own attitudes and beliefs to our institutions and businesses.”
To get your free copy of Elder Abuse – Stories to Understand contact Carer Connect, via MPower Inc. on 03 5561 8111 or download it here.