With respect to age – 2009
Victorian Government practice guidelines for health services and community agencies

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Overview

Preventing abuse of older people in our society is increasingly acknowledged as a social concern.

A 1995 version of this guide, With Respect to Age, was written and distributed by the then Department of Health and Community Services to Victorian health services and community agencies.

Since then, many Victorian health and community service providers have developed specialist expertise and practical wisdom for navigating complex scenarios where older people are subject to abuse — especially where family members are involved. In addition, many providers have developed formal and effective protocols and resources, which have been shared within local networks.

No evidence exists to indicate an increase in abuse of older people, but detection is increasing.

The existence and reporting of abuse towards older people is likely to grow in prominence due to three main factors:

• increasing numbers of older people, particularly the significant increase in the number of people aged 75 years and above expected over the next 15 years
• increasing longevity
• increasing numbers of people with dementia.

Many health and community care workers involved with older people encounter abusive situations. Circumstances surrounding abuse may raise difficult legal, ethical and practice challenges.

At a broader level, other jurisdictions have developed abuse prevention models and responses, including supporting service provider peer networks, advocacy and community awareness raising campaigns.

Significant international research on elder abuse prevention continues, including the development of principles and community-based service model approaches by the World Health Organization (WHO).

This guide is principally for workers in health services and community agencies that support older people. Its preparation drew on:

• advice from older people who live in Victoria
• consultation with workers in health and community sectors
• the views and experience of a range of stakeholders.

Many organisations are well advanced and eager to develop their skill and capacity further to respond to elder abuse, as well as share approaches and knowledge with other service providers.

These guidelines reflect clear advice from service providers that, while abuse is disturbing, dealing with these situations is part of the day-to-day business of providing health and community services to older people and their primary carers. Issues for service providers arise not necessarily from inadequate legislation or from reluctance to act, but often from uncertainty about how and when to act and who else to include.

The Victorian Government’s strategic response to elder abuse affirms that Victoria’s existing services, and the networks that bind them at a local level, are appropriately placed to manage suspected and actual incidents of abuse.

How to obtain hard copies of With respect to age - 2009

Hard copies of With respect to age - 2009 may be obtained from the DHS appointed distribution centre, Warehousing Fulfilment Distribution Solutions (WFDS), via email to Laura Tavian: ltavian@wfds.com.au providing details of the quantity you require and address for delivery.

For further information and feedback contact aged.care@dhs.vic.gov.au or telephone 03 9096 7389.

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With respect to age – 2009 Victorian Government practice guidelines for health services and community agencies (2.4MB, pdf)

For ease of use the Contents page has been hyperlinked.

The above document has been split into the following sections:

Disclaimer and Acknowledgments (205kb, pdf)

Section 1 - Background and context (279kb, pdf)

Section 2 - Types of abuse and risk factors (154kb, pdf)

Section 3 - Service response frameworks (452kb, pdf)

Section 4 - Developing agency policies and procedures (115kb, pdf)

Section 5 - Local interagency protocols (168kb, pdf)

Section 6 - Sample intervention and referral frameworks (236kb, pdf)

Section 7 - Resources (651kb, pdf)

Section 8 - Case studies (271kb, pdf)

Section 9 and 10 - Recommendations from the Victorian Government response to the Report of the Elder Abuse Prevention Project and Definitions (156kb, pdf)

Section 11 to 13 - Acronyms, abbreviations, legislation and references (119kb, pdf)

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