The Australian Government has finally released its new National Plan to End the Abuse and Mistreatment of Older People on 16th March following a nation-wide call out with Caxton Community Legal Centre taking a lead role.
The week before its release, Cybele Koning spoke with ABC News about the two-year delay and said that the issue of elder abuse was “not taken as seriously as other crimes against other demographics.”
“If the same number of younger Australians were experiencing abuse each year without a current national strategy, there would be immediate action,” she added.
In response to the newly released Nation Plan, Caxton’s Legal Practice Director Colette Bots said she welcomes the addition of a focus on prevention and early intervention to address attitudes and behaviours early on before harm occurs.
She also acknowledged and expressed support of the National Plan’s “strong human rights approach” which recognises that everyone has the right to be supported to make their own choices as they age.
The Australian Government is yet to detail how the National Plan will be implemented in the first five years.
Read the full ABC news story – Federal government under pressure after delays in national plan to tackle elder abuse.