Recognising, Responding and Reporting the Abuse of Older People Online Learning Modules

WA Country Health Service, Advocare and WA Primary Health Alliance have collaborated to develop these e-learning modules designed for staff working likely to have contact with older people at risk of abuse and neglect.

Click here for access to e-learning modules

The online modules will:

• Give people the resources and contacts on where to go for advice and assistance
• Support safe healthy ageing to provide better outcomes for Older people
• Describe the social circumstances in which abuse of older people may occur
• Identify early abuse types and signs
• Describe the barriers to recognising and reporting abuse of older people
• Describe the duty of care and appropriate action to take when abuse is disclosed, witnessed or suspected
• Explain how to respond to reports of alleged abuse

Learning Outcomes:

• Define types of abuse and identify the risk factors
• Understand the difference between unintentional and intentional abuse
• Be able to describe the rights of older people
• Learn how to minimise or prevent the risk of abuse of an older person by early intervention
• Be able to identify early ways to respond in the event of alleged abuse of an older person
• Learn how to provide emotional support where abuse is suspected
• Understand the recording requirements and reporting process for incidents of abuse of older people
• Understand what is required by law for reporting abuse of older people
• Learn how to refer and access other support services early
• Understand why certain types of abuse of older people have to be reported to the police and to the Commonwealth Department of Health

Webinar Series for Financial Counsellors

Thanks to funding from the Department of Communities, we ran a series of webinars in 2020/2021 for Financial Counsellors to give them the skills and knowledge to help identify and respond to the financial abuse of older people.

• Webinar 1:  How to recognise financial Elder Abuse, what questions to ask and what immediate action should be taken
• Webinar 2:  Financial Elder Abuse in vulnerable communities (including rural, regional and remote) – legal and community options and referral pathways
• Webinar 3:  Financial Elder Abuse in situations where clients have capacity and choice – legal options and referral pathways
• Webinar 4:  Financial Elder Abuse in situations where capacity is in question – capacity issues and referral pathways.

Elder Abuse and Advocacy

As part of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day in 2021, we have produced two short videos explaining elder abuse and our advocacy services.