Short Course Saves Precious Lives – Prevention of Older Person Ab use
Community Industry Group is pleased to announce the release of a free online ‘Micro Course’ focused on the
prevention of older person abuse.
“Older person abuse takes many forms including, but not limited to physical, emotional and financial abuse,”
said CEO of Community Industry Group, Nicky Sloan. “But like so many forms of relationship violence, it can be
in sidious and hidden from sight. This ‘Micro Course’ has been developed to enable people to recognise the
signs of Older Person Abuse, and to give them strategies to address it or to report it.”
The release of the Micro Course has been timed to complement Wo rld Elder Abuse Awareness Day which was
held this week. Community Industry Group participate in and support a number of Older Person Abuse
Prevention collaborative groups including Shoalhaven Older Awareness Prevention (SOAP) and the Prevention
of Older Pe rson Abuse (POPA) based in the Illawarra. The NSW Ageing and Disability Commission (NADC) are
also very supportive of these groups, and send representatives to all meetings to provide information and
resources.
“We encourage any service providers to participate in the collaborative meetings,” Ms Sloan said. “But you
don’t need to be a service provider to do our free online course. Family members, neighbours and friends of
older people should all do this short training course, because they may very well be the only people who
regularly see an older person, and who can see signs of abuse or neglect.”
The purpose of reporting signs of abuse is not always about punitive outcomes for the abuser. Early
identification of the signs of abuse can result in interve ntions which assist both the older person and the
people caring for them.
“Being a full time carer for an aging relative can be one of the most important, but also toughest jobs and
loneliest jobs, anyone can do,” said Ms Sloan. “Early signs of abuse and ne glect can be signals that a carer
needs help. By reporting early, additional supports can be put in place which relieve pressure on a carer, or
offer them some much needed respite from their caring duties.”
“Most importantly the training is designed so tha t we all share a consistent message to support the rights of
older people and their right to live free from abuse,” Ms Sloan concluded.
