Recommendation Déjà Vu? A Review of Australian Reports, Inquiries and Commissions Around Preventing Elder Abuse

There has been growing attention to understanding and preventing the abuse of older adults in Australia. Several inquiries, commissions and research reports have been undertaken to understand the prevalence and characteristics of elder abuse in community and institutional settings, and to develop recommendations to alleviate and prevent this problem. This study sought to map the recommendations regarding the prevention of the abuse of older adults from the last 15 years.

This research project reviewed 22 Australian federal and state-based elder abuse inquiries, reports and commissions.

Three hundred and eighty-one recommendations around elder abuse were identified across eight themes. Consistent recommendations were made around financial abuse, legal responses and staff training.

The utility of new inquiries on elder abuse may be questionable given consistent findings across existing inquiries. These consistent recommendations provide direction for government action, identify gaps that require further attention and necessitate follow-through on implementation.