Qualitative insights on help-seeking from older Australian women with lived experience of elder abuse

We investigated the help-seeking behaviors of older Australian women who experienced elder abuse.

Participants were purposively recruited from the longitudinal Mater-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy cohort. Adults 60 years and older who self-reported experiencing elder abuse within the past 12 months were eligible to participate in the study. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted between April and November 2024. Data were thematically analyzed.

There were 17 participants (mean age 65.8, SD 4.5). All were Caucasian, healthy, cognitively intact, and independent. Thirteen (76.5%) had incomes <$35,000. Eleven (64.7%) did not seek help, citing stigma, victim-blaming, and feelings of shame as major deterrents. Despite this, many expressed a desire for their perpetrators to receive support, particularly for mental health and addiction issues. When formal interventions were accessed, improvements were noted in the perpetrator's behavior. However, victims generally saw limited benefit in engaging with services such as mental health care, police, helplines, or respite care for themselves, preferring to self-manage their abuse rather than rely on formal or informal support.

The consequences of elder abuse are often endured, and help is rarely sought. To change this, comprehensive responses are needed to address perpetrator behavior, the underlying stigma of elder abuse, improve service response, and harness the role of informal supporters to enable access to formal services.