Elder Abuse on the Rise

Sadly, it appears that incidences of Elder abuse are on the rise across Australia.

A recent report from Advocare, which provides advocacy services for the elderly, revealed that the number of calls to its Elder abuse helplines across Australia increased from 10,243 in 2014/15 to 15,757 in 2015/1616, a rise of around 54%.

Worryingly, the most common perpetrators of the abuse are the elderly person’s children, who account for 60% of cases.

The World Health Organisation defines Elder abuse as "a single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person”. This definition has been widely adopted across the world.

Elder abuse can take many forms, but in Advocare’s experience the most common types are financial and psychological abuse.

Examples of financial abuse listed by the report include:

• forced changes to legal documents such as someone’s Will or house title,
• misappropriation of money, or
• denying access to personal funds.

Psychological abuse can include:

• verbal intimidation,
• humiliation, or
• removal of decision making powers.

Elder abuse is undoubtedly a serious issue, but there are times when an adult may become unable to manage their own affairs, for example due to illness, and family members may need to take steps to help them out of a genuine concern for their welfare.

In these situations, Szabo & Associates, Solicitors can help with applications to the NSW Civil & Administrative Tribunal’s Guardianship Division, which makes decisions about people who have a decision making disability. Applications can include Guardianship orders, Financial Management orders or both.

Contact Us

Contact Szabo & Associates, Solicitors today for advice on applications to the NSW Guardianship Tribunal. Please call George Szabo on (02) 9281-5088 or fill in our online contact form.

Sources:

http://www.advocare.org.au/news/festive-season-brings-ripe-conditions-for-elder-abuse/

http://www.advocare.org.au/uploaded/files/client_added/NEA%20Annual%20Report%202015-2016.pdf