By Queensland Parliament. Education, Arts and Communities Committee

Responses to elder abuse, and opportunities to improve responses to elder abuse within the government, broader community, non-government and private sectors. The report provides 16 recommendations.

Key findings
Elder abuse often occurs in private settings, frequently within families, and remains underreported due to victims’ reluctance or lack of awareness. Evidence indicates that elder abuse stems from a complex and evolving environment, marked by ambiguous definitions and diverse causes. Contributing factors include family stress, social isolation and financial pressures. The committee noted pervasive ageism, whereby older people are at once undervalued yet expected to share their assets with younger generations. Data collection by government and funded services was found to be inadequate, inconsistent and poorly integrated across agencies. In addition to recommending that the Legislative Assembly note the report, the committee made 15 recommendations around the following key themes, to: improve data collection, management and reporting strengthen Queensland’s elder abuse prevention and response frameworks collaborate at a national level to ensure consistent reform.