Investing in a frontline response to elder abuse

University of Queensland researchers are working with a team of 50 social workers across south east Queensland to create a uniform, national approach to identifying abuse in elderly people who present to hospitals. Latest national figures say up to 14 per cent of Australians over the age of 55 experience some form of physical, financial or emotional abuse at the hands of their carers or family members. Project leader and veteran social worker Professor Jill Wilson OA said despite the growing need, there was no national framework for dealing with the various forms of abuse. "Our research project will be focussed on understanding why someone commits elder abuse and how social workers can better intervene to break the cycle,' Professor Wilson said. "Apart from the issues of human rights and protection, increasing abuse rates worry the government because abused older people often lose their asset base and so they cannot pay for care. "Everybody in society should have an interest in protecting older people. "The government, economies, families and older people all have an interest in not seeing assets being 'wasted'.