Neglectful to the point of cruelty? Elder abuse and the rights of older persons in Australia
| dc.contributor.author | Lacey, W. | |
| dc.date.issued | 2014 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Australia’s ageing population is growing and so too is the number of older persons who experience abuse. Divorce, ill-health, disability, the death of a partner, dependency, poverty, social isolation, gender, and even the accumulation of assets, can heighten a person’s vulnerability to abuse — physical, social, sexual , psychological, financial or neglect. Addressing elder abuse from a legal and policy perspective is not, however, simple. Perceived Commonwealth dominance in the ageing portfolio, despite the lack of a comprehensive legislative mandate to safeguard older Australians; a lack of innovative legal reform at the state level; ageism; the invisibility of our older people; a lack of awareness within the community of both the prevalence, nature and the signs of elder abuse; together with the absence of an international normative framework for protecting the rights of older persons, have together created a situation where elder abuse is simply not widely acknowledged as a serious issue in Australia and is inadequately addressed under existing laws. This article examines the current legal situation in Australia and calls for a collaborative national strategy for preventing and responding to elder abuse, incorporating a rights-based approach to the review and reform of state and territory laws. Recognising that elder abuse involves the denial of a person’s basic human rights, including the right to live free from abuse, exploitation or neglect, this article calls for a national inquiry into elder abuse by the Australian Human Rights Commission. | |
| dc.identifier.citation | The Sydney law review, 2014; 36(1):99-130 | |
| dc.identifier.issn | 0082-0512 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/1959.8/154220 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | University of Sydney | |
| dc.rights | Copyright 2014 University of Sydney | |
| dc.subject | older people | |
| dc.subject | abuse | |
| dc.subject | neglect | |
| dc.subject | Australia | |
| dc.title | Neglectful to the point of cruelty? Elder abuse and the rights of older persons in Australia | |
| dc.type | Journal article | |
| pubs.publication-status | Published | |
| ror.mmsid | 9915910270801831 |