Annual Report 2019–2020

Elder Abuse Action Australia (EAAA) is the national voice for action to eliminate elder abuse through systemic advocacy and policy development, best practice and research, and education and capacity building. EAAA is a specialist organisation with knowledge of issues that impact older people and their families, communities and broader society. Our board represents advocacy groups that are strong advocates on elder abuse in their jurisdictions.

Participants at the 5th National Elder Abuse Conference advocated the need for a national and collegiate approach to working on elder abuse and in 2018, the Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department recognised the need for a national approach.

Elder Abuse Action Australia arose out of the series of National Elder Abuse Conferences in Brisbane (2012), Adelaide (2013), Perth (2014) Melbourne (2016) and Sydney (2018). Although there was a national network in existence at the time in the form of the Australian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (ANPEA), consistent with the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA), ANPEA was not resourced to achieve the scope of national work that was sought. Moreover, the duplication and inefficiency in working separately was recognised. The enthusiasm to combine to achieve a national strategy and action led to the formation of the EAAA.

EAAA was funded by the Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department in 2018 as a national organisation to further the work on ending elder abuse. The initial funding was to enable the establishment of the organisation. Additional funding was provided to scope the feasibility of a knowledge hub for the prevention and awareness of Elder Abuse.

EAAA aims are to:

• Develop and promote systemic policy reforms regarding elder abuse to national government, non-government institutions and the business community;
• Raise community awareness and educate the community regarding elder abuse; and
• Communicate, share and co-ordinate information, resources and practice for national consistency and efficiency.

EAAA has a strong commitment to community and consumer engagement. EAAA is the only national organisation providing a specific voice for those affected by elder abuse and those organisations that take a rights-based approach to addressing ageism and ending elder abuse.

Russell Westacott and Diedre Timms

Co-Chairs Report

YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE ANNUAL REPORT HERE:

https://eaaa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/EAAA_Annual-Report_2019-2020_V7.pdf