By DANIELLE MCKAY
August 30, 2009
UP to 4000 elderly Tasmanians suffer emotional, physical, or financial abuse each year, a new lobby group says.
Our Island Our Voices, which includes Advocacy Tasmania, Aged and Community Services Tasmania and the Tasmanian Council of Social Service, said many victims were abused by younger family members.
It included being forced to stay at home, attacks, theft of money, control of bank accounts and being isolated from friends and loved ones.
The group said the victims often had nowhere to turn for help because Tasmania was the only state that did not have a government policy position or prevention strategy regarding elder abuse.
"This is an issue that requires urgent attention," Advocacy Tasmania CEO Ken Hardaker said.
The group wants:
• Protocols for services dealing with the issue.
• A central contact number for elder abuse issues and a public awareness campaign.
• New information, referral and advocacy services for victims and access to legal assistance.
• Training for community and aged-care workers to identify and deal with elder abuse.
• Funding for research on the nature and extent of elder abuse in Tasmania and to support empowerment and prevention initiatives.
• Law reform including reviewing power-of-attorney legislation.
Council on the Ageing CEO Maxine Griffiths said the Government should collaborate with community organisations to offer prevention and response services.
Our Island Our Voices has compiled several disturbing case studies of elder abuse in Tasmania, including:
• Susie, 78, who became a prisoner in her home after her son chained up her house's entrance, took her money and regularly assaulted her.
• Bob, aged in his 80s, who suffered years of abuse and neglect by his son, who took his pension money and eventually abandoned him at a hospital.
• Maria, 86, who was isolated from friends and regularly hospitalised with panic attacks because her alcoholic son abused her.
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