Crime Stoppers Victoria have released a five-part podcast series ‘Elder Abuse – Prevention and Protection’. Including interviews with staff from Seniors Rights Victoria, Victoria Police, Office of the Public Advocate and the Law Institute of Victoria, the series aims to increase community awareness of elder abuse.
“Elder abuse is an issue that may be taking place in households of those who are close to us,” said Crime Stoppers Victoria Chief Executive Stella Smith. “Given the victim may be reluctant to raise these matters to friends and family due to fear or pride, we need to pay attention to the elder members in our world and let them know we are there for them.”
The podcast series explores the impact of elder abuse on older people as well as detailing Victoria Police’s trial program focused on investigating financial exploitation of older people.
It also considers how ageism can be a driver of elder abuse and how important it is to ensure the older person is part of the decision-making process, regarding any interventions to stop abuse.
Episode 1 features SRV’s policy officer Melanie Joosten, who provides an overview of elder abuse and its impact within the community. Melanie talk about how to ensure an older person is included in decisions and for to be mindful of ageist behaviour.
‘We should always be checking in to make sure the older person is a willing participant in whatever is happening.” Mel says, “It’s always good for us to each check our internal ageism and perhaps how we treat the older people in our lives.”
Where to Listen
The podcast is available on Crime Stoppers' website.
You can also find it on podcast playing services, including Apple and Spotify.
