❓ The Minister for Seniors and Ageing updates the house on the government's efforts to combat elder abuse, highlighting funding for Advocare and public awareness campaigns. The Minister acknowledges the various forms of abuse and the challenges in reporting it.
AnsweredQoN 794Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ELDER ABUSE
794. Ms S.E. WINTON to the Minister for Seniors and Ageing:
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's
longstanding commitment to tackling the prevalence of elder abuse across Western
Australia. Can the minister update the house on how this government is
supporting organisations to respond to elder abuse and raise awareness of this
important issue?
794. Ms S.E. WINTON to the Minister for Seniors and Ageing:
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's
longstanding commitment to tackling the prevalence of elder abuse across Western
Australia. Can the minister update the house on how this government is
supporting organisations to respond to elder abuse and raise awareness of this
important issue?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
As many members are aware, elder abuse is a crime that, sadly, is emerging in
society. It is sad and debilitating to a family. The abuse may take many forms,
such as psychological, physical, sexual or financial, but, unfortunately, in
the public arena, only physical abuse is recognised.
We have to educate the public that
it is not all right to not only financially abuse seniors in our society, but
also abuse them in other ways. Many times it is about family against family.
That also is very sad, because it is very hard for a mother to say, ''One
of my family members is abusing me'' or for a father to say, ''My
daughter has ripped money out of my bank account; what do I do?''
What have we been doing? We have
been working with many groups and we had a summit at which we asked the
providers what we should do. The 40 people at that meeting came back with some
recommendations. Some of those recommendations are very good and some will be
very hard to implement, but it is still about educating people to report the
issue. Advocare has been very much at the forefront of helping people
understand what elder abuse is. A phone service is provided, and we provide the
funding for it. It is with great pleasure that the McGowan government has
extended by 12 months the funding for that service. The use of that service has
absolutely trebled in the last 10 months. We understand that people are
starting to have knowledge about where they can ring and get help from. I encourage
every member in this house to refer those people to a group such as Advocare.
The form of abuse can include not
allowing a grandparent to see their grandkids if they do not give their child a
couple of hundred bucks for the weekend. It can even be as simple as the child
doing the shopping for mum and then using the card for personal issues. They
are the types of things we have to work with in this society of greed. The
Advocare people go over and above what they are funded for. We have added
another $25 000 so that they can say publicly, ''We are a group that
people can ring and you can have that response from us that will help you
without being very public about it.''
The police are also being educated.
Sometimes when they get a call and go to the door, an older person will come to
the door and say, ''It's all right now; it doesn't
matter.'' That abuse has already happened and they do not want their son
or daughter to be locked up. We have to have that advice from people such as
those at Advocare. Today we have extended that funding. We are working with
Advocare, which is doing a tremendous job and I thank those people. We are
putting in another $25 000 to let members of the community know where they can
ring.
As many members are aware, elder abuse is a crime that, sadly, is emerging in
society. It is sad and debilitating to a family. The abuse may take many forms,
such as psychological, physical, sexual or financial, but, unfortunately, in
the public arena, only physical abuse is recognised.
We have to educate the public that
it is not all right to not only financially abuse seniors in our society, but
also abuse them in other ways. Many times it is about family against family.
That also is very sad, because it is very hard for a mother to say, ''One
of my family members is abusing me'' or for a father to say, ''My
daughter has ripped money out of my bank account; what do I do?''
What have we been doing? We have
been working with many groups and we had a summit at which we asked the
providers what we should do. The 40 people at that meeting came back with some
recommendations. Some of those recommendations are very good and some will be
very hard to implement, but it is still about educating people to report the
issue. Advocare has been very much at the forefront of helping people
understand what elder abuse is. A phone service is provided, and we provide the
funding for it. It is with great pleasure that the McGowan government has
extended by 12 months the funding for that service. The use of that service has
absolutely trebled in the last 10 months. We understand that people are
starting to have knowledge about where they can ring and get help from. I encourage
every member in this house to refer those people to a group such as Advocare.
The form of abuse can include not
allowing a grandparent to see their grandkids if they do not give their child a
couple of hundred bucks for the weekend. It can even be as simple as the child
doing the shopping for mum and then using the card for personal issues. They
are the types of things we have to work with in this society of greed. The
Advocare people go over and above what they are funded for. We have added
another $25 000 so that they can say publicly, ''We are a group that
people can ring and you can have that response from us that will help you
without being very public about it.''
The police are also being educated.
Sometimes when they get a call and go to the door, an older person will come to
the door and say, ''It's all right now; it doesn't
matter.'' That abuse has already happened and they do not want their son
or daughter to be locked up. We have to have that advice from people such as
those at Advocare. Today we have extended that funding. We are working with
Advocare, which is doing a tremendous job and I thank those people. We are
putting in another $25 000 to let members of the community know where they can
ring.
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