❓ Question on Notice regarding funding and prevention strategy for elder abuse in WA. The Minister outlines the government's strategy, funding allocation, and key priority areas, highlighting the importance of raising awareness and providing support for vulnerable seniors.
AnsweredQoN 482Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ELDER ABUSE —
FUNDING AND PREVENTION STRATEGY
482. Ms M.M. QUIRK to the Minister for Seniors and Ageing:
I refer to the responsible financial
management of the McGowan Labor government that has meant more funding and more
support for those vital services that work tirelessly to address elder abuse in
our community.
(1) Can the
minister update the house on the funding certainty that this government has
provided to elder abuse prevention services?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house how this government's elder abuse
prevention strategy will help provide further support for our vulnerable
seniors?
FUNDING AND PREVENTION STRATEGY
482. Ms M.M. QUIRK to the Minister for Seniors and Ageing:
I refer to the responsible financial
management of the McGowan Labor government that has meant more funding and more
support for those vital services that work tirelessly to address elder abuse in
our community.
(1) Can the
minister update the house on the funding certainty that this government has
provided to elder abuse prevention services?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house how this government's elder abuse
prevention strategy will help provide further support for our vulnerable
seniors?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question
and I thank her very much for her ongoing interest in the area of seniors. The
member for Girrawheen is certainly one of the people who stand out in that area
in the northern suburbs.
(1)–(2)
Last Saturday, the McGowan government released for public comment the strategy
to respond to the abuse of older people, with $1.42 million in this year's
budget to deliver the final strategy priorities. As we know, elder abuse is one
of those hidden scourges within our community. I notice that every time I stand
to talk about this, Parliament is very quiet because most people know of
something that has happened in their electorate or, at times, possibly closer
to home.
For the first time, WA will have a clear
way forward in tackling the growing scourge of elder abuse in our community. As
I said earlier, I would like to thank the Attorney General for the leadership
role he has played in this over the last 12 months or so when he has led the
pack of all Attorneys in Australia on this issue. I thank the Attorney for the
work he is doing. Along with that, the Minister for Community Services, who is
a very quiet lady at times, is getting a lot done in the background to make
sure that older people have comfort in their later years.
The strategy itself identifies four
key priority areas. They are raising awareness and early identification;
prevention and early intervention; integrated and coordinated responses; and
improved availability of data and evidence. With that comes the confidence of
people to speak out to others about their problems in later life, which, in
some cases, other members of the family might say is a perceived idea. However,
elder abuse takes many forms. I will say it again and again until people get
the gist. Elder abuse does not always involve physical abuse. Elder abuse
occurs in many different ways. One of the main ones is financial abuse.
Certainly, it is a very difficult issue to bring up in a family situation. It
might involve $100 or $100 000, but it is very difficult for people to ask for an
investigation into the conduct of their own siblings or other family members.
We have to work very hard to make sure the community is aware of and educated
about these problems.
The strategy itself is open for
consultation until 24 July, and I encourage service providers, stakeholders and
members of the public to get involved in the consultation period and help
determine further mechanisms to combat elder abuse.
To show that the McGowan government
is certainly keen on helping these people, we have recently provided some
funding. Advocare will receive increased funding, with a funding guarantee of
$150 000 a year for five years to enable the organisation to continue to
provide free conditional advice to vulnerable seniors and to continue operating
the elder abuse helpline after the federal government—we cannot believe
this—refused to help those groups. We are out there and the Labor Party
is showing that we care.
and I thank her very much for her ongoing interest in the area of seniors. The
member for Girrawheen is certainly one of the people who stand out in that area
in the northern suburbs.
(1)–(2)
Last Saturday, the McGowan government released for public comment the strategy
to respond to the abuse of older people, with $1.42 million in this year's
budget to deliver the final strategy priorities. As we know, elder abuse is one
of those hidden scourges within our community. I notice that every time I stand
to talk about this, Parliament is very quiet because most people know of
something that has happened in their electorate or, at times, possibly closer
to home.
For the first time, WA will have a clear
way forward in tackling the growing scourge of elder abuse in our community. As
I said earlier, I would like to thank the Attorney General for the leadership
role he has played in this over the last 12 months or so when he has led the
pack of all Attorneys in Australia on this issue. I thank the Attorney for the
work he is doing. Along with that, the Minister for Community Services, who is
a very quiet lady at times, is getting a lot done in the background to make
sure that older people have comfort in their later years.
The strategy itself identifies four
key priority areas. They are raising awareness and early identification;
prevention and early intervention; integrated and coordinated responses; and
improved availability of data and evidence. With that comes the confidence of
people to speak out to others about their problems in later life, which, in
some cases, other members of the family might say is a perceived idea. However,
elder abuse takes many forms. I will say it again and again until people get
the gist. Elder abuse does not always involve physical abuse. Elder abuse
occurs in many different ways. One of the main ones is financial abuse.
Certainly, it is a very difficult issue to bring up in a family situation. It
might involve $100 or $100 000, but it is very difficult for people to ask for an
investigation into the conduct of their own siblings or other family members.
We have to work very hard to make sure the community is aware of and educated
about these problems.
The strategy itself is open for
consultation until 24 July, and I encourage service providers, stakeholders and
members of the public to get involved in the consultation period and help
determine further mechanisms to combat elder abuse.
To show that the McGowan government
is certainly keen on helping these people, we have recently provided some
funding. Advocare will receive increased funding, with a funding guarantee of
$150 000 a year for five years to enable the organisation to continue to
provide free conditional advice to vulnerable seniors and to continue operating
the elder abuse helpline after the federal government—we cannot believe
this—refused to help those groups. We are out there and the Labor Party
is showing that we care.
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