Elder Abuse Prevention Project Report

“All Australians have rights, which do not diminish with age, to live dignified, self-determined lives, free from exploitation, violence and abuse’.

This Report initiates a conversation about the nature of elder abuse in the Northern Territory (NT) and encourages the collection of more information and the involvement of the community to develop ways forward. The Report draws on the findings and community input to a 12-month project conducted throughout 2018 by Darwin Community Legal Service (DCLS).

The Elder Abuse Prevention Project2 (the Project) aimed to:
• Raise community awareness of Elder Abuse;
• Identify strategies to protect senior Territorians from experiencing abuse and mistreatment;
• Develop relevant resources;
• Provide information and training; and,
• Indicate the prevalence of the abuse of older people in the NT.

In the course of consultations for this Project it became clear that, while Elder Abuse is common in the NT, response pathways are largely unavailable, and that any interventions need to take into account cultural and organisational variations between communities. Financial abuse was the issue most frequently raised, along with lack of respect for older people.