What is abuse of older people?

Abuse of older people is any act occurring within a relationship where there is an implication of trust, which results in harm to an older person. Abuse can include physical, sexual, financial, psychological and social abuse and/or neglect [definition of the Australian Network for the prevention of Elder Abuse (ANPEA)].

Residential Aged Care - nursing homes and hostels

If you are concerned about how well you or someone you know is being cared for in a residential aged care facility (nursing home or hostel) you may want to contact the Government Department responsible for these facilities.

• Most NSW residential aged care facilities are licensed and monitored by NSW Health. You can discuss your concerns by telephoning the Private Health Care Branch of NSW Health on 1800 809 590 or (02) 9816 0243.
• You can also discuss your concerns by telephoning the Department of Health and Aged Care Complaints Resolution Scheme on 1800 550 552 (freecall) or TTY (02) 9263 3737 and/or the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency on (02) 9633 2099.
• The Commonwealth Department Health and Aged Care is responsible for funding and monitoring aged care services. For more information on how they can help visit the Department of Health and Ageing website.
• If you would like to discuss the matter with someone outside government, you can contact the Aged-care Rights Service (TARS). TARS is an advocacy service for older residents of nursing homes, hostels and retirement villages and people receiving Community Aged Care Packages. For free and confidential advice you can phone them on (02) 9281 3600 or 1800 424 079 (toll free for NSW country callers). The TARS website has further information about services they provide.

If you have concerns about the way that you or someone you know has been treated by a health care provider or a health care facility you can contact the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission on 1800 043 159 (toll free in NSW) or (02) 9219 7444 or email hccc@hccc.nsw.gov.au You can find more information on the Health Care Complaints Commission website.

Abuse by family, friends or acquaintances

If you think you or someone you know is being abused by a family member, friend, or someone else they know, help is available from a number of sources.

• The local Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) can provide advice or assess the situation. For further information on Aged Care Assessment Teams contact the Aged and Community Care Information Line on 1800 500 853. The Department of Health and Ageing website has contact details of Aged Care Assessment Teams in your area.
• The Seniors Information Service provides confidential information and referrals on issues concerning older people in NSW. For the cost of a local call from anywhere in NSW, by dialling 13 12 44 you can speal directly to a trained information officer who has access to information from over 4,000 service providers. More information can be found on the Council on the Ageing (NSW) website.
• The Department of Ageing, Disability & Home Care (DADHC) has produced a brochure, "Abuse of older people: The hidden problem". This brochure is available in English, Arabic, Croatian, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Korean, Macedonian, Maltese, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Turkish, Ukranian, Vietnamese, Chinese and Filipino. Copies of this brochure can be downloaded from the DADHC website.
• Legal Aid NSW has produced a brochure, "Are you experiencing violence or abuse? You can make it stop." This brochure explains what you can do if you are experiencing violence or abuse from a partner, another family member or other person who lives in your home or residential facility, or a neighbour or carer. Copies of the brochure can be downloaded from the Legal Aid website.

Sometimes older people are exploited when they are no longer capable of making their own decisions. In cases where no appropriate or safe informal arrangements are in place, or for some other reason, the Guardianship Tribunal may help by legally appointing a guardian or substitute decision maker.

The Gaurdianship Tribunal website can provide more information. You can also telephone the GuardianshipTribunal on 1800 463 928 (toll free) or (02) 9555 8500 or TTY (for callers with a hearing impairment) (02) 9552-8534.

Other Options for Support