Peninsula Health is committed to supporting a world free of family violence, including elder abuse.
Our Social Work department has specialist workers, including an Elder Abuse Liaison Officer, available to provide expert advice across Peninsula Health and support to patients. Patients, family members and supporters can ask to speak with a social worker at any stage of care.
What is elder abuse?
Elder abuse is a form of family violence. The World Health Organisation defines elder abuse as “a single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person”.
Elder abuse can include financial, psychological, social, physical and sexual abuse and neglect. It is common for older people to experience at least two types of abuse at any one time.
Elder Abuse Liaison Officer
Peninsula Health’s Elder Abuse Liaison Officer provides secondary consultation to any service providers across Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula (both within and external to Peninsula Health) who are concerned about, or suspect, instances of elder abuse. This includes GPs, Allied Health, any community aged care service provider or family violence worker.
For Elder Abuse Secondary Consultation, please contact:
Elder Abuse Liaison Officer
Mon – Fri | 8.00am to 4.30pm
Ph: 0466 781 205
Email: Elderabuseenquiries@phcn.vic.gov.au
The Integrated Model of Care for Responding to Suspected Elder Abuse (IMOC)
Peninsula Health is one of five Integrated Model of Care for Responding to Suspected Elder Abuse (IMOC) trial sites across the state.
The IMOC is a Victorian government-funded pilot project implemented in response to the Royal Commission into Family Violence. It enables health services to provide specialist support to older people, their carers and their families, to address suspected elder abuse.
There are four key components of the IMOC:
- Secondary Consultation
- Family Mediation and Counselling
- Workforce Training
- Prevention
Read more about these four components on the Department of Health website.
Useful resources and contacts
In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000)
If you are in an emergency situation and require urgent attention, call Triple Zero (000).
- For 24 hour support, contact 1800 Respect or Safe Steps (1800 015 188)
- Better Place Australia– provides case work support to older people experiencing conflict relating to family or carers in their lives, to address and prevent abuse. Self-referral or via a service provider.
- Respecting Seniors Network– a group of committed individuals and organisations in the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula area, working together to prevent elder abuse. Join up!
- Seniors Rights Victoria – telephone advice, advocacy & free legal advice
- Elder Law Service – at Peninsula Community Legal Service.
- Orange Door– specialist family violence support
- Rainbow Door– specialist family violence support for LGBTIQA+
- InTouch – state-wide specialist family violence service for people for migrant and refugee backgrounds
- Bouverie Elder Abuse Training for professionals
- Australian Human Rights Commission page on Elder Abuse
- Safe+Equal – Victorian peak body for specialist family violence services – Are you safe at home?
- COMPASS National website with information and resources on elder abuse
Videos
- Watch Inheritance: Not an Entitlement campaign videos about financial abuse.
- Click here to watch Respecting Seniors videos.