Lunch & Learn: Older Person Abuse in the Northern Territory – A Systemic Advocacy Journey

How do you create change in a place where there are almost no services, no legislation and limited recognition of elder abuse?

Elina Beswick, an Aged Care Advocate at Darwin Community Legal Service explained exactly how this happened.

Elina spoke about:

• The landscape in the NT: why service gaps and lack of frameworks make this issue so urgent
• The advocacy journey: the preconceptions, challenges and turning points that shaped this project
• Building momentum: how they started a network of services and created a roadmap to implement the National Plan to +Prevent Abuse and Mistreatment of Older Australians in the NT.

She also shared:

• The complexities of working in the unique Northern Territory environment
• Missteps, insights and what was learned along the way
• Opportunities for advocacy, collaboration and making a real impact.

This isn’t just a Northern Territory story - it’s a story of how change happens. You’ll hear about the persistence, lessons, and strategies that others can draw on when advocating for older people, whether you’re in policy, frontline work, or community leadership.

Community members will learn the realities of elder abuse in the Northern Territory and how the work of organisations like DCLS support change.

Watch the recording on our YouTube channel:

A little bit about our presenter