“The Abuse of Older Australians (Elder Abuse)”: Reform Activity and Imperatives

ABSTRACT

Significant national reform activity is occurring that concerns the abuse of older people by trusted others. This includes an Australian Law Reform Commission report entitled Elder Abuse – A National Legal Response (2017), and the adoption in 2019 of the first ever “National plan to respond to the abuse of older Australians (elder abuse)”. While service responses in this field largely exist at, and will continue to be provided at, state and territory level, this article considers current and needed reform initiatives in a field of increasing national government attention.

IMPLICATIONS

• The adoption of the first ever national plan concerning the abuse of older people in Australia adds significant impetus and direction for reform in this key social policy area.

• Most service and regulatory reforms aimed at improving responses to the abuse of older people will occur at state and territory level.

• The breadth of likely and necessary reforms is significant, ranging from policing practices through to guardianship law reform.

事关虐待老人的重要全国改革正在进行，这包括澳大利亚法律改革委员会一份题为⟪老人遭虐待——国家立法的回应⟫（2017）以及2019年首次通过的“国家反虐待澳大利亚老人计划”。在州和领地的层次上目前已有、将来也会继续提供这方面的服务，本文讨论了在这个越来越受全国政府重视的领域，都需要启动哪些改革。

KEYWORDS:

• Elder Abuse
• Social Policy
• Aged

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank colleagues—in particular, Lauren Adamson, Jenny Blakey, Frances Byers, Phil Grano, and Colleen Pearce—for their many conversations that have informed the writing of this article.

Disclosure Statement

I have overseen the Victorian Office of the Public Advocate's work (on behalf of the Australian Guardianship and Administration Council) concerning nationally consistent financial enduring powers of attorney laws, and the development of a best practice enduring powers of attorney resource (Lauren Adamson has conducted most of this work). I served on the Australian Law Reform Commission's Advisory Committee for its elder abuse inquiry.