Mayoral Matters | Cr Karen Hyslop, June 19, 2026
Published on 19 June 2026
On Monday last week, I was interviewed on radio for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Because it is such an important day – one I don’t think is talked about enough – I decided to dedicate this week’s column to it.
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEADD) is recognised annually on June 15 and highlights abuse, neglect and mistreatment of older people.
Elder abuse comes in many forms. It can be financial, emotional, psychological, physical, sexual, or social. Elder abuse can occur once, or many times and can vary in severity from subtle through to extreme. It can include one or a combination of the different types of abuse.
Most often, elder abuse is carried out by someone known to the older person, with two thirds of abusers being an adult child. Abusers can also be other family members, relatives, or friends.
Elder abuse affects people of all genders and all walks of life. The abuse, however, disproportionately affects women – two-thirds of people seeking help from Seniors Rights Victoria are women.
Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and LGBTQI+ communities are additionally vulnerable, as are older people living in rural and regional communities.
The most recent study of elder abuse prevalence in Australia found that 14.8% of those 65 years and older had experienced at least one recognised form of elder abuse in the previous 12 months.
This suggests that 160,000 older Victorians are experiencing elder abuse each year to a level they are willing to identify to researchers.
Insecure housing and homelessness are factors that greatly contribute to elder abuse, whether they are experienced by the older person themselves, or by people close to them.
As part of council’s recognition of WEAAD, our Thrive 50+ Hubs team hosted information sessions at Stawell and St Arnaud senior citizens centres.
The sessions included information about aged care rights and aged care reforms as well as available support.
Seniors Rights Victoria (SRV) has a great website full of information about elder abuse, at https://seniorsrights.org.au.
People can also call the SRV helpline on 1300 368 821 for a chat. This applies to people who are suffering from elder abuse, or people who might know someone who is and want to seek some help and advice.
Council’s hubs team also has information available. The team has done a lot of work in the space of empowering shire residents aged 50 and older.
Even though the hubs are closing due to their funding running out, council and the other hub partners will still have information available and will continue to be able to point people in the right direction for support.
You can find more information about ongoing support following the hubs’ closure on June 30 in the ‘latest news’ section of council’s website, www.ngshire.vic.gov.au.