PROVIDING community connection and access to services is the first step Swan Hill organisations are taking to enable citizens to age with dignity at the Elder Abuse Awareness Expo at the Swan Hill Town Hall, 11:30am to 2:30pm Friday.
Swan Hill Rotary Club, Business and Professional Women Lions Club and Inner Wheel are uniting to raise awareness of elder abuse as a form of family violence and provide resources to prevent it from occurring.
Organiser Marie Schlemme encourages people of all ages to come to the expo and discussion at the Town Hall at lunchtime on Friday.
“We want to allow the community to know that elder abuse is an issue and show them where they can get help, whether they are a carer for an elderly relative or someone experiencing elder abuse,” she said.
“We need to know what elder abuse is and how to spot it so we can tackle it together.
“I encourage people of any age on their lunch break on Friday to come have a look around the expo and learn how they can better support their loved ones.”
The expo will feature a discussion led by Senior Rights Victoria on recognising elder abuse and how to seek help.
Swan Hill Library, Men’s Shed and more local community groups will have information on their activities and upcoming events for anyone who wants to come in and have a chat and build their network.
“Going into retirement can be daunting, and a lot of people are left wondering what they are going to do with their time without the routine and socialisation of work,” Mrs Schlemme said.
“A strong community and support network is important in preventing elder abuse, so people have someone to talk to and somewhere to go outside of the house.”
Elder abuse encompasses many of the same forms of abuse as seen in domestic and family violence, including psychological, financial, physical, sexual and social abuse, and is frequently a combination of multiple forms of abuse.
National Ageing Research Institute (NARI), in collaboration with Senior Rights Victoria and State Trustees Foundation, analysed the 2385 advice calls to Senior Rights Victoria between 2012 and 2019.
Psychological and financial abuse were the most common types of elder abuse reported during that time.
It found women, people aged 70 or over and in receipt of a government pension were the highest demographics of people reporting elder abuse in Victoria in that time.
In 91 per cent of cases the abuse was perpetrated by a family member of the clients, most commonly sons (39 per cent) or daughters (28 per cent).
The report identified elder abuse as “one of the worst manifestations of ageism and inequality in our society, with abuse occurring in both community or family settings, as well as institutional settings such as hospitals, aged care facilities and nursing homes”.
Sandwiches will be available for a gold coin donation, otherwise the event is free to attend.
Any questions can be directed to expojune13@gmail.com.
