Elder abuse - Good practice for workers and organisations

Workers and professionals

Depending on the circumstances, a range of responses to signs of elder abuse is available. It is common for situations to have multiple options or responses. Options for workers may range from responses to early risks through to situations where significant risks are present and require immediate action.

It is recommended that workers are aware of and respond to concerns according to their responsibilities, their organisational policies and procedures, and discuss their concerns with their supervisors or line managers.

Below are facts sheets to provide guidance on good practices across a number of areas. These are a guide and a starting point.

Elder abuse fact sheets

Workers fact sheets

Elder abuse - working with people from diverse backgrounds

Elder abuse can be complex, and a range and combination of factors may need to be considered carefully depending on a person’s cultural background.

This section is a starting point and it is recommended that workers seek further information and assistance if they are working with people of diverse backgrounds and have concerns about signs of elder abuse.

Elder Abuse – Good practice guidelines for organisations

Good Practice Guidelines to Prevent Abuse of Older South Australians (PDF 475KB) have been developed by the Office for Ageing Well to enable services and organisation to support the rights of older South Australians and implement safeguards for elder abuse prevention.

The Guidelines provide a 5 step process designed to help organisations identify a range of activities which support the rights of older people:

  1. Identify workplace champions.
  2. Complete an organisational self-assessment/audit and consider relevant actions.
  3. Develop an action plan using the recommended resources.
  4. Implement and communicate the plan.
  5. Evaluate the impact.

Organisations with a commitment to older people are encouraged to make use of these guidelines to support better practice in the recognition of, response to, and prevention of elder abuse.

Please take our short survey about the Stop Elder Abuse web pages.