Today is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), an opportunity to promote awareness of elder abuse and its impacts on the health, wellbeing and independence of older people in our community. It also offers the chance to reflect on our role in identifying and responding to this form of family violence.
Elder Abuse is often carried out by someone in a position of trust, such as a family member, carer, or neighbour. It can take many forms including financial abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological or emotional abuse, and neglect.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen an increase in cases and a higher risk for those experiencing this type of abuse.
According to Respect Victoria, up to 14.8 per cent of older people in Australia have experienced elder abuse, with older women more likely to be victims. Worryingly, 61 per cent of older people don’t seek help when they are abused. Therefore, it is important to familiarise yourself with the signs of elder abuse and understand the process of responding to suspected elder abuse.
Preventing elder abuse – Call it out
At Monash Health, we remain committed to educating and increasing employee understanding of how to recognise and respond to elder abuse. Everyone has the right to be treated equally, regardless of age or gender.
We encourage Monash Employees to take some time to watch the videos below:
Call out ageism and sexism
Ageism and sexism are forms of discrimination based on outdated stereotypes and assumptions, particularly that men are superior to women. For older people, these types of discrimination can lead to isolation, shame, and abuse.
We can take an active role and call out behaviours that encourage sexism and ageism:
- call out or not laugh at jokes or comments that discriminate against older people based on age and gender
- think about any unconscious biases you may hold and understand how ageism and sexism can affect the older people in your life or how you speak to or about them
- become an advocate in our workplace and encourage the inclusion of older people, in particular, older women
Lead with respect and connection
One of the easiest ways we can help prevent elder abuse is to lead with respect and foster a positive attitude. This can be demonstrated through:
- valuing the contribution and voice of older people in our workforce
- promoting and seeking opinions and expertise of older people, where appropriate
- supporting young people to have mutually respectful, caring relationships with older relatives and people
Change starts with us. By calling out ageism and sexism, we can promote a workplace of inclusion and respect.