Concerns raised by Public Trustee of unreported elder abuse in Ipswich

Ipswich residents are being urged to keep an eye on their elderly relatives and neighbours with the number of calls received by the state’s elder abuse hotline lower than expected

During the 2019-20 financial year, there were 88 known victims of elder abuse in Ipswic. There are fears more isn’t being reported.

IPSWICH residents are being urged to keep an eye on their elderly relatives and neighbours with the number of calls received by the state’s elder abuse hotline lower than expected.

According to the Elder Abuse Prevention Unit’s 2019-20 report, there were 355 known victims in Brisbane, with 88 in Ipswich over that financial year.

The total number of calls to the Elder Abuse Hotline, which is funded by the state government, during 2019-20 was 2810 with 1534 notifications of abuse and 1276 general inquiries.

The number of abuse notifications was 13.8 per cent lower than the year before.

“However, this number is unlikely to reflect lower rates of elder abuse,” the report notes.

The data indicates there has been a lower than expected number of calls in Ipswich when taking into account the age of the city’s population and comparisons to past years.

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The Public Trustee of Queensland is asking locals to be vigilant and report any suspicions of elder abuse with senior citizens at risk of going under the radar due to COVID-19.

Financial abuse can be devastating but it can be hard to recognise due to the relationship between the victim and the perpetrator.

“It’s sad reality, but the majority of cases of financial elder abuse involve direct family members, trusted friends, caregivers, or their attorneys, when someone loses capacity,” the Acting Public Trustee and CEO Samay Zhouand said.

“Often the perpetrator operates under the guise of caring for and protecting the affected person.

“We have seen cases where even family members take financial control of their parents due to financial downturn, mental illness, substance abuse or high stress situations.

“Having your affairs in order can help to protect Queenslanders against financial abuse.

“Enduring powers of attorney and nominated person arrangements play a vital role in protecting yourself and your future.”

Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman said elder abuse is a matter Queenslanders need to be aware of.

She said the Queensland Guardianship system has led to the arrest of the perpetrators of financial elder abuse as well as the recovery of millions of dollars of defrauded funds.

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“Without this system, many cases of elder abuse would go unnoticed or unreported with severe consequences to some of our most vulnerable,” she said.

UnitingCare leads the Elder Abuse Prevention Unit.

“The Elder Abuse Helpline is designed to support anyone who experiences, witnesses or suspects abuse of an older person by someone they know and trust,” UnitingCare’s general manager for family and disability services Luke Lindsay said.

“If you are an older person experiencing abuse, or an advocate of an older person you are concerned may be the victim of abuse, our message to you is please speak up and reach out.”

If you see signs of elder abuse, contact the Elder Abuse Helpline on 1300 651 192.

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Originally published as Concerns raised by Public Trustee of unreported elder abuse in Ipswich