Member for Farrer, Sussan Ley today confirmed that the Turnbull Coalition is the only Federal Party with a plan to recognise and promote the rights of older Australians.
“A re-elected Turnbull Government will invest $15 million to ensure older Australians in our community feel safe, cared for, and respected,” Ms Ley said.
“The Coalition is taking significant steps to confront the often hidden scourge of elder abuse and put the rights of older Australians on the national agenda.”
A study by the Australian Institute of Family Studies, commissioned by the Coalition Government last year, suggested that between two and ten per cent of older Australians experience elder abuse in any given year with the prevalence of neglect being possibly higher.
The study found that elder abuse could be financial, physical, sexual and/or psychological.
The Turnbull Coalition’s national plan to better protect the rights of older Australians includes:
- developing a national elder abuse hotline;
- developing pilot training programmes for frontline staff;
- a study into the prevalence of elder abuse to better understand the problem; and
- developing a national awareness campaign to educate and to change attitudes and values
“Older people contribute significantly to all aspects of the Farrer community,” Ms Ley said.
“A re-elected Turnbull Coalition will work tirelessly to ensure that elder abuse is prevented and detected and the rights of the older members of our community are respected.”
The Attorney-General said: “Today’s announcement, which coincides with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, builds on the inquiry I asked the Australian Law Reform Commission to conduct into laws and frameworks to safeguard older persons from abuse.”