If you are, or someone you know is, in Victoria and experiencing elder abuse, call our confidential helpline on 1300 368 821.
Older Victorians are not a single group with shared experiences, and our work sought to ensure that policies and systems recognise this diversity. This approach underpins the work undertaken by the Policy & Advocacy team, across policy areas outlined in this briefing.
The COTA Victoria and Seniors Rights Victoria ‘State of Ageing in Victoria’ Pulse survey provides an up-to-date insight into how older Victorians feel about the upsides and the downsides of their lives in 2026.
This toolkit has been developed to support practitioners to strengthen their awareness of elder abuse and build their capacity to respond in ways that are effective, respectful, and uphold the dignity, rights, and autonomy of older people.
The ‘Intersectionality in elder abuse reference guide part 3’ is a resource guide that responds to the insights and advice relating to elder abuse detection, prevention, response, and recovery that is outlined in parts 1 and 2
Seniors Rights Victoria strongly supports the State Disability Plan and the Victorian Autism Plan as important drivers of practical action to improve inclusion, accessibility and equity for Victorians with disability.
COTA Victoria and Seniors Rights Victoria welcome the opportunity to contribute to DEECA’s consultation on reforming prices and consumer protections for customers in embedded electricity and gas networks. We support the proposed direction of reform and, rather than commenting on the broader embedded network framework, this submission focuses on one cohort that requires particular attention: older Victorians living in retirement villages.
As Victorian bushfires, heatwaves, storm events, floods and pandemics have shown, older people are still disproportionately affected by emergencies.
As we age, most of us will need some form of support to continue living independently. The good news is we have a well-developed system of funded services to help Victorians remain at home for as long as possible.
Older women in Victoria are experiencing a systemic crisis of economic insecurity. Despite decades of participation in work and caregiving, many arrive at later life with significantly less wealth and income than men, leaving a disproportionate number of older women facing poverty and housing stress.
This briefing updates members on budget announcements, including what initiatives offer direct benefit to older Victorians, and how this investment aligns with priorities we have previously identified.
Part 2 of the Intersectionality in Elder Abuse Reference Guide builds on Part 1, which considered the impact of disability, gender, linguistic and cultural diversity, and LGBTQIA+ identities on people’s exposure to ageism, discrimination, and barriers to elder abuse support.
This submission reflects on the proposals through the lens of older Victorians at a heightened level of risk, with particular attention to those experiencing intersectional disadvantage and/or digital exclusion.
COTA Victoria and Seniors Rights Victoria welcome the latest set of Essential Services Commission proposals to strengthen protections for Victorian energy consumers through the Energy Retail Code of Practice.
Elder abuse is both prevalent and under-recognised within Australia. Annually, approximately one in six (14.8%) older Australians experience some form of elder abuse. Research by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) in 2021i found that psychological abuse is the most common form, followed by financial abuse – a trend that mirrors the case data of Seniors Rights Victoria.
Victoria is getting older, and the next Victorian Government must be ready.
While this guide relates to older people with all types of disability, it provides targeted advice for some of the most common forms of disability experienced by participants in community aged care.
Imagine being told that your decades of experience are a liability rather than an asset — that is the reality facing hundreds of thousands of older Victorians. At the same time as people are needing and choosing to work longer, ageist attitudes and practices are shutting them out.
The Department of Justice and Community Safety has proposed three options for remaking the VCAT fee Regulations. COTA Victoria and Seniors Rights Victoria support Option 3.
In making this submission, we highlight the importance of specifically addressing the needs of older people, both as a large proportion of those living with a disability and in relation to other aspects of ageing that also impact on accessibility and support needs
COTA Victoria commends the current draft Community Infrastructure Plan; the feedback provided through this submission is intended to strengthen the Plan rather than reframe it.
Evidence suggests that elder abuse is a significant, growing, and distinct form of family violence that intersects with suicide risk in later life yet remains inadequately captured within current systems. Improving the visibility of elder abuse across prevention, service delivery, data collection, and coronial investigation is critical to strengthening DFSV-related suicide prevention and ensuring that older people are not overlooked in policy, practice, and reform efforts.
For close to 75 years, COTA Victoria and Seniors Rights Victoria have worked alongside older people to shape policies, services, and systems that support safety, dignity, inclusion, and quality of life.
Older Victorians play vital roles leading advocacy and action to improve communities. They do this through a diverse range of formal and informal groups and activities, often on a voluntary basis. Encouraging and supporting this leadership is a crucial part of making Victoria a place that respects, engages and benefits from its older citizens.
Are you an older Victorian interested in taking on a leadership role in your community? This resource outlines practical first steps to help you get started.
