Respect our elders

AS COMMISSIONER for Senior Victorians, I am urging Victorians to speak up against elder abuse for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on 15 June.
All seniors should be able to live healthy, active and independent lives as part of their local communities. To do that, our seniors need to feel safe, to be free from discrimination and harm and to have their rights respected.
We know that some Victorian seniors experience neglect, others abuse. The most common abuse is financial, though we know seniors also experience psychological, social, sexual or physical abuse -sometimes at the hands of loved ones.
Figures show that around five per cent of older people may experience abuse – and that could be higher because people are afraid to speak up.
That is why World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is so important.
It is a time to shine a light on elder abuse – a hidden problem in our society that more people need to become aware of. The first step is raising awareness and talking about elder abuse and how people can get help.
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is a day where we can all say “no” to elder abuse, and let senior Victorians know they have the right to live without fear.
I want to encourage anyone who may be experiencing elder abuse to call Senior Rights Victoria on 1300 368 821. Advice is free and confidential.
Events to help raise awareness of elder abuse are taking place across the state including the Victorian World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Forum – Human rights are ageless – on Monday 16 June. Wear a purple ribbon to show your support and together we can strive for a society where seniors are empowered to speak up against abuse and get the help they need.
Visit www.weaad.org.au to find out more about World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.
If you would like to find out more about my work as Commissioner visit www.seniorsonline.vic.gov.au.
Gerard Mansour,
Commissioner for Senior Victorians.