❓ Mr Alban raises concerns about elder abuse, particularly financial scams perpetrated by family members. The Minister outlines government initiatives, including funding for an Advocare hotline and a new protocol booklet, to support and protect seniors.
AnsweredQoN 212Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ELDER ABUSE — ADVOCARE BOOKLET
212. Mr F.A. ALBAN to the Minister for
Seniors and Volunteering:
We have all read about the many
scams that go on that try to elicit money from the community. Unfortunately,
some of these requests come directly from family members. Can the minister
outline how this government is helping seniors recognise and combat this and
other forms of elder abuse?
212. Mr F.A. ALBAN to the Minister for
Seniors and Volunteering:
We have all read about the many
scams that go on that try to elicit money from the community. Unfortunately,
some of these requests come directly from family members. Can the minister
outline how this government is helping seniors recognise and combat this and
other forms of elder abuse?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Swan Hills
for the question. Yesterday morning, I had the opportunity to attend an
Advocare launch of a booklet on elder abuse. It was a great booklet to launch
because it takes people through a six-step program of how they can receive help
and it can be handed out by carers if elder abuse is suspected. Interestingly,
we estimate about 12 000 seniors in our community are in some way abused. I
think we all agree that this has to stop. It is interesting that most of the
abuse comes from within their own family—children, which is most
common; partners; and family carers. The most common is financial abuse, which
is an issue that has to be addressed, whereby people ask their grandparents or
parents to sign over their house for mortgages to help the kids out. More
important is the emotional and social isolation that has a big effect on
seniors in our community. Yesterday, I was able to not only launch a new
protocol booklet by Advocare, but also announce $80 000 for Advocare to set up—a
first for WA—a hotline for seniors who are being abused. They can ring
the number and Advocare, which will administer the hotline, will be able to
direct these seniors to financial support, emotional support or wherever they
need to go. I am very proud to be part of a government that recognises the
seniors in our community and makes sure we do everything we can to make them
feel safe in their community. I thank the member for Swan Hills for asking the
question and being a big supporter of this program. It is a great commitment
from our government to help seniors not only live independently, but also feel
safe and secure in their retirement.
for the question. Yesterday morning, I had the opportunity to attend an
Advocare launch of a booklet on elder abuse. It was a great booklet to launch
because it takes people through a six-step program of how they can receive help
and it can be handed out by carers if elder abuse is suspected. Interestingly,
we estimate about 12 000 seniors in our community are in some way abused. I
think we all agree that this has to stop. It is interesting that most of the
abuse comes from within their own family—children, which is most
common; partners; and family carers. The most common is financial abuse, which
is an issue that has to be addressed, whereby people ask their grandparents or
parents to sign over their house for mortgages to help the kids out. More
important is the emotional and social isolation that has a big effect on
seniors in our community. Yesterday, I was able to not only launch a new
protocol booklet by Advocare, but also announce $80 000 for Advocare to set up—a
first for WA—a hotline for seniors who are being abused. They can ring
the number and Advocare, which will administer the hotline, will be able to
direct these seniors to financial support, emotional support or wherever they
need to go. I am very proud to be part of a government that recognises the
seniors in our community and makes sure we do everything we can to make them
feel safe in their community. I thank the member for Swan Hills for asking the
question and being a big supporter of this program. It is a great commitment
from our government to help seniors not only live independently, but also feel
safe and secure in their retirement.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.