Mental health and disability

ELDER ABUSE - “The afternoon knows what the morning never suspected.”

When we think of domestic violence, often it is in the context of couple relationships.  However, there are other forms and elder abuse is one which is an increasing shame in our community.  The Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence has heard that 92 per cent of abuse of the elderly is perpetrated by adult children.  Victoria reports 179 of  its elderly lost in the region $56.7 million in the 2013-2014 through elder financial abuse.  Elder abuse is under-reported because of shame and reliance upon family members.  As a Specialist Succession Lawyer my firm deals daily with adult children 'managing' the affairs of their elderly relatives. Alive to these issues , many adult children are indignant, some even angry when we follow certain protocols in dealing with them.  Those protocols are designed to minimise the perpetration of elder abuse. 

The commission heard 40 per cent of elder abuse was perpetrated by adult sons, and 26 per cent by adult daughters.

Fear of abandonment, isolation and loneliness can often see the elderly make decisions they wouldn't otherwise make.  As a society we must work to ensure that regardless of age we feel secure and protected in our lives. For 

"The measure of a civilization is how it treats its weakest members"

See this ABC report: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-16/royal-commission-abuse-of-elderly-is-under-reported-by-victims/6625230



Headline Quote source ― Robert Frost

Content Quote generally attributed to Ghandi