Legal and Social Support

Mr McDougall explains the elder abuse response model developed by the Caxton Legal Centre in Queensland that has been working very well. The model involves pairing a lawyer and a social worker together to do outreach to a person’s home. Subsequently, the service discovered a similar model operating in New York USA. The model enables clients to be intensely supported to address fears and concerns about disrupting family relationships, or about housing or financial security, to enable people to feel secure to take legal action if they choose. Mr McDougall also raises the question as to the “trick balance” between the autonomy of an older person (to not take action to stop abuse) and society’s obligation to protect vulnerable adults or stand up to power imbalances that enable abuse to occur.

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