ELDER ABUSE ACTION AUSTRALIA
4 March 2026
EAAA Members call for immediate release of the 2nd National Plan to End the Abuse and Mistreatment of Older People.
Elder Abuse Action Australia (EAAA), the peak national body aiming to end elder abuse are seeking urgent action on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of older people at risk of or currently experiencing abuse and mistreatment and the broader elder abuse sector committed to supporting them and preventing further abuse.
Australia has been without a National Plan since the first response to community demand, National Plan to Respond to the Abuse of Older Australians concluded in 2023. This means that we have had more than two years without a coordinated national framework.
“This is not good enough and we are calling for the urgent release of the plan and for the Federal Government to commit through budget processes to support the plan and its implementation. Older people are vulnerable, and the sector supporting them is at risk.” Sue Leitch, EAAA Co-Chair stated.
Rebecca Edwards, EAAA Co-Chair noted, “The absence of a ten-year National Plan, the first five-year implementation plan and secure and appropriate funding leave a significant policy gap at a time of growing demographic pressure. Getting help is a postcode lottery at present.”
Scenarios like the case study below are unfortunately not uncommon.
Peter is a 90-year-old man. His son, Andrew, 50 years old, moves into his father’s home after a marriage breakdown. Andrew is in considerable financial difficulty. He begins a deliberate campaign to convince his father that he is losing his “marbles”, and therefore his capacity to manage his own affairs.
Andrew secretly over-medicates Peter. He also convinces authorities his father no longer had capacity and was appointed Peter’s Guardian and Administrator. Andrew withdrew more than $100,000 of Peter’s money and gambled it away.
Peter obtained support through an elder abuse service. He was helped to revoke all orders and to get Andrew removed from his house. He could not recover the money stolen by Andrew.
1 in 6 older Australians experience abuse
The time for ACTION is now!
Advocate Northern Territory is a proud member Elder Abuse Action Australia
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