Council on the Ageing (COTA) Victoria and Seniors Rights Victoria (SRV) welcome the release of the National Plan to End the Abuse and Mistreatment of Older People 2026–2036, describing it as an important step forward in addressing elder abuse. However, it needs effective implementation to deliver on its potential impact, which the upcoming Commonwealth budget must start to resource.
CEO of COTA Victoria and SRV, Ben Rogers, said the plan rightly reflects a growing national understanding of the role that ageism, exclusion, and structural barriers play in enabling elder abuse.
“It’s strengthened recognition of, and commitment to ending, ageism as a key driver of elder abuse is an important shift, and an issue we focus attention on through our ongoing Beyond Age campaign,” Mr Rogers said. “The plan also rightly acknowledges the diversity of older people’s experiences, including those that may face additional barriers.”
While an understanding of the drivers of elder abuse is important, a coordinated response is crucial when it comes to the prevention of, and intervention into, this malicious type of family violence.
“The plan sets out a strong vision, but meaningful change will rely on coordinated action, and – most importantly – increased support and funding from government into services such as Seniors Rights Victoria,” said Mr Rogers.
“Many services supporting older people who are experiencing abuse are already under significant pressure. SRV is inundated with calls from older Victorians who are directly impacted by violence alongside those concerned about loved ones,” Mr Rogers continued.
“Calls to our service increase year-on-year, as do the number of days cases remain open because of the increasing complexity of matters. Without increased investment and resourcing, it will be near impossible to meet the growing demand that the plan itself recognises.
“The upcoming Commonwealth budget offers a vital opportunity to deliver on key elements of the new plan, including the commitment to act to strengthen the 1800 ELDERHelp phone line. As the Victorian provider of this service, further support would make a real difference to our ability to meet growing community need.”
Moreover, a stronger alignment between national priorities and state and territory systems will be critical, particularly in areas such as family violence, safeguarding, and justice responses where implementation largely sits with states such as Victoria.
“We look forward to working with governments and sector partners to ensure the plan translates into practical improvements in prevention, response, and recovery for older people experiencing abuse,” said Mr Rogers.
“While the plan provides a strong foundation, the next step is ensuring its ambitions are backed by the coordination, accountability, and investment needed to deliver real change,” Mr Rogers continued.
If you are in Victoria and experiencing elder abuse, help is available through Seniors Rights Victoria’s confidential helpline on 1300 368 821. Our website – seniorsrights.org.au – also features resources for concerned friends or family members.
For nationwide assistance, please call 1800 ELDERHelp (1800 353 374). You can also access additional resources in 20 different languages using the Australian Human Rights Commission website.
If it is an emergency, call 000.
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Further context
All points below are attributable to Ben Rogers, CEO of Seniors Rights Victoria and COTA Victoria.
- The most recent study of elder abuse prevalence in Australia found that 1 in 6 people 65 years and over had experienced at least one recognised form of elder abuse over the previous 12 months.
- This suggests that 160,000 older Victorians are reporting that they have experienced elder abuse each year, demonstrating the clear need for training and supports.
- Elder abuse comes in many forms. It can be financial, emotional, psychological, physical, sexual, or social. Elder abuse can occur once or many times and can vary in severity from subtle through to extreme and can include one or a combination of the different types of abuse.
- Elder abuse is most often perpetrated by someone known to and trusted by the older person, such as family members, relatives, or friends, with two thirds of reported elder abuse being perpetrated by the adult children of an older person.
- Elder abuse affects people of all genders and all walks of life. The abuse, however, disproportionately affects women – two-thirds of people seeking help from SRV are women.
- Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and LGBTQIA+ communities are additionally vulnerable to elder abuse, as are older people living in rural and regional communities.
- In the 2024/25 financial year, the SRV helpline received a total of 13,203 calls, a 12% increase compared to the year before. Of those, our advocates were able to make contact and assist 3,970 contacts with 5,238 unique issues.
- SRV data from the 2024/25 financial year indicates that 64% of alleged perpetrators of elder abuse are the adult children of the victim-survivor.
- The average number of days a case remained open was 646 days, with the longest closed case running totalling 1,788 days (almost 4 years). Due to the increasing complexity of matters, we are experiencing a greater volume of cases spanning longer periods of time.
Further information
Steve Wright
Communications and Membership Manager
Email: communications@cotavic.org.au
About us
Council on the Ageing (COTA) Victoria is the leading not-for-profit member organisation representing the interests and rights of people aged over 50 in Victoria. Celebrating 75 years of service in 2026, we have led government, corporate and community thinking about the positive aspects of ageing in the state.
Today, our focus is on promoting opportunities for and protecting the legal rights of people 50+. We value ageing and embrace its opportunities for personal growth, contribution, and self-expression. This belief drives benefits to the nation and its states alongside communities, families, and individuals.
Seniors Rights Victoria (SRV) is the key state-wide service dedicated to advancing the rights of older people and the early intervention into, or prevention of, elder abuse in our community.
SRV has a team of experienced advocates, lawyers, and social workers who provide free information, advice, referral, legal advice, legal casework, and support to older people who are either at risk of or are experiencing elder abuse. SRV supports and empowers older people through the provision of legal advice directly to the older person.