Seniors Rights Victoria only has capacity to respond to calls from older people experiencing or at risk of elder abuse. If your matter is an emergency, please call 000. If you are a concerned friend or family member, please encourage the older person to call us or click here for access to information and resources.
Elder abuse prevention can be done in different ways. For instance, Seniors Rights Victoria provides a helpline to support older people and their families deal with cases of elder abuse.
But if we are going to deal with each case that occurs we will be overwhelmed especially as the population of older people increases. We need to stop elder abuse before it happens by looking at the causes. This is referred to as primary prevention.
Seniors Rights Victoria works with older people and their families to raise awareness of the value of older people and build their confidence to claim their rights.
One of the main ways Seniors Rights Victoria raises awareness of elder abuse is through its community education program. Community education happens in many contexts and can promote social change and social justice. As well as raising awareness of elder abuse, Seniors Rights Victoria aims to build capacity in the seniors’ population by increasing knowledge and enabling people to talk openly about abuse and mistreatment within the community. This can lead to people becoming more assertive of their rights. It can also assist those who are being subjected to elder abuse to seek out support and assistance.
At Seniors Rights Victoria, our Community Education is offered free to seniors’ groups and forums. Each session takes around an hour with questions. The current topics available are:
Protecting Your Rights is an overview of elder abuse, risks, prevention and support and assistance available through Seniors Rights Victoria. The session is a dynamic way to raise awareness about elder abuse, prevent it from occurring and protect the rights of seniors. This is an interactive session which includes a narrative and group discussion.
Life presents many different circumstances. As people age it’s important to ensure that they have planned to cover future circumstances. Enduring Powers of Attorney are documents which appoint another person to make decisions, if such decisions can’t be made. These decisions relate to lifestyle, medical treatment, assets, property and finances. Advanced Health Care Directives provide information about your preferences in relation to medical treatment. The Planning Ahead session presents information in a simple and interactive way on Enduring Powers of Attorney. A free kit “Take Control” is provided to participants.
Learn more about Planning Ahead.
Sometimes an adult child will ask his or her older parent whether they can move back home. Usually this follows a crisis in the adult child’s life like a relationship breakdown. As people age, they might also consider moving in with family for care and support. It’s important to think about these living arrangements before they are put in place. The Money, Ageing and Family session looks at some of the issues to think about when an older person’s living arrangement is about to change. How does the older person protect their rights and continue a fulfilling lifestyle? A free booklet “Money, Ageing and Family” is provided to participants.
Contact Gary Ferguson, Education Co-ordinator, on (03) 9655 2112 or by email gferguson@seniorsrights.org.au
If you are in Victoria and are experiencing or at risk of elder abuse, help is available through our confidential helpline on 1300 368 821.
If you are a concerned friend or family member, please encourage the older person to call us or you can access information and resources here. You can also find a lawyer via the Law Institute of Victoria website.
If it is an emergency, call 000.
