ELDER ABUSE AS FAMILY VIOLENCE

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ELDER ABUSE AS FAMILY VIOLENCE Advocare Inc
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ELDER ABUSE PREVENTION PROGRAM The Elder Abuse
Prevention Program (EAPP) supports older adults
who are being abused, or at risk of being abused,
by someone with whom they are in a relationship
of trust, such as family and friends. The EAPP
is funded by Home Community Care (HACC).
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• There are more than 316,000 adults aged over
  60 living in Western Australia .
• 297,040 (94) are still living in the
  community.
• 80 (46,048) of older adults aged over 80 are
  still living in the community.
• (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2004)

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• Westhorpe, Cape, Sebastian and Belford (1997)
  estimated that between 2 and 5 of older adults
  in Australia are being abused. Therefore there
  could be between 5,940-14,852 older adults in WA
  experiencing abuse.

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Western Australian Department for Community
Development Family and Domestic Violence Policy
2005 Family and domestic violence in this
document refers to a pattern of behaviour between
individuals in an intimate or familial
relationship that results in physical, sexual,
and/or psychological damage, forced social
isolation, economic deprivation and victims to
live in fear..Family and domestic violence is a
serious and complex social issue. It impacts on
all sections of the community, cutting across
race, gender, age and social status (p.1).
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• Acts Amendment ( Family and Domestic Violence)
  Act 2004 (Part 2, section 61)
• an act of family and domestic violence means
  one of the following acts that a person commits
  against another person with whom he or she is in
  a family or domestic relationship-
• assaulting or causing personal injury to the
  person
• kidnapping or depriving the person of his or her
  liberty
• damaging the persons property, including the
  injury or death of an animal that is the persons
  property
• behaving in an ongoing manner that is
  intimidating, offensive or emotionally abusive
  towards the person
• causing the person or a third person to be
  pursued-
• with intent to intimidate the person in a manner
  that could reasonably be expected to intimidate,
  and that does in fact intimidate, the person
• threatening to commit any act described in
  paragraphs (a) to (c) against the person.

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DEFINITIONS OF ELDER ABUSE DISCUSSION BY THE
UNITED NATIONS Perceptions and definitions of
abuse of older persons and violence vary between
groups across and within societies. One
definition of abuse of older persons, which seeks
to take variations into account, reads 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. Such an
approach to the definition of abuse of older
persons has gained ground over the last 20
years. United Nations. (2002). Economic and
Social Council. New York
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• DEFINITION OF ELDER ABUSE
• Any act occurring within a relationship where
  there
• is an implication of trust ( family and friends)
  which results in harm to an older person. Abuse
  can be
• Physical
• Sexual
• Financial
• Psychological
• Social
• Neglect

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Gender of Victims
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Residence of Victim
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Types of Abuse
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Perpetrators Relationship To Victim
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Risk Factors Victim
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Risk Factors Perpetrator
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• OLDER ADULTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO
• Freedom
• Make their own choices
• Take risks
• Live without fear
• Not be intimidated
• Be treated with respect
• Privacy dignity respected
• Not be exploited
• Understand assert their rights
• Receive support

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• Older adults may not seek support
• because they
• dont know their rights
• dont recognise the situation as abuse
• think nothing will change
• think they wont be believed
• fear possible consequences
• are ashamed embarrassed
• blame themselves
• are influenced by social/religious beliefs
• are socially isolated
• are physically unable

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• EMPOWERMENT MODEL
• Knowledge
• Freedom of choice
• Freedom to make own decisions
• Participation
• Self determination

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The Speak Out Survey on Elder Abuse Report
is available on our website
www.advocare.org.au Maureen Sellick email
maureens_at_advocare.org.au Abuse Prevention
Program (SA) 08 8232 5377 www.sa.agedrights.asn.
au