Advocare will deliver a series of public forums on elder abuse awareness and prevention in regional and remote parts of the State, thanks to a $50,000 contribution from the State Government.
The workshops – which will also address social isolation as a factor contributing to elder abuse – will travel to the South-West, Great Southern, Wheatbelt, Kimberley, Pilbara and Mid-West.
The forums will focus on educating professionals who regularly work with older people of the warning signs and risk factors of elder abuse, and how to report it.
Advocare will link with the Western Australian Country Health Service to run parallel community forums in tandem with the health service’s regional workshops.
The Community Awareness Roadshow sessions will provide communities with important information on elder abuse, including:
- what is elder abuse;
- facts and figures;
- how to respond;
- examples of elder abuse;
- risk factors; and
- referral and support
The roadshows begin later this month in the Mid-West, travelling around the State until mid-2020.
The Community Awareness Roadshows are the first of a planned expansion of public forums in WA, with further education and awareness initiatives to be outlined in the final WA Strategy to Respond to the Abuse of Older People (Elder Abuse) 2019-2029.
As stated by Seniors and Ageing Minister Mick Murray:
“Older people living in regional and remote parts of the State are susceptible to social isolation and elder abuse, so we need to make sure we are getting education and awareness out into those communities.
“Advocare does great work supporting elder abuse victims and helping the wider community to understand the issue and how to prevent it. These roadshows will help spread awareness around Western Australia.
“The roadshows will help foster a greater understanding of elder abuse, its causes, and how to prevent it, providing regional areas with a greater ability to confront and prevent the issue in their communities.”
