Age Concern New Zealand is raising awareness of elder abuse during Elder Abuse Awareness Week from 15-22 June 2020 which begins on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on 15 June 2020.

FACT: 81% of alleged abusers are family members.
"We need to face the facts that much of the abuse we see at Age Concerns across New Zealand is at the hands of people we should be able to trust and ask for help from," says Age Concern New Zealand Chief Executive, Stephanie Clare.

FACT: 57% of the alleged abusers are adult children or grandchildren
"It is a myth to think that elder abuse is not family violence - it is! And like any family violence, we all need to step up and call it out and report it when we see or suspect it," says Clare.

"Elder abuse is under-reported as often the shame of it being caused by a family member and the stigma, keeps older people quiet and that’s not ok,” she said.

"Our Age Concern’s Elder Abuse services received 2,500 referrals for older people last year. That’s ten referrals every working day! I want to see these numbers decline not to increase and we all have a part to play."

"One thing we are grateful for is that the Government has announced a 25 million dollar package over the next four year to support elder abuse services. But we need our team of 5 million Kiwis to help too!" says Clare.

If you suspect and an older person is not being treated well or want to report abuse, please call either the elder abuse helpline 0800 EA IS NOT OK or freephone Age Concern 0800 65 2 105 for free and confidential support.

You can also show support by donating to Age Concern New Zealand www.ageconcern.org.nz

• At a Glance - Elder Abuse Statistics
• Age Concern’s Elder Abuse and Neglect Prevention services received 2,500 referrals for older people who may be facing elder abuse or neglect.That’s nine referrals every working day.

Who is involved?

• More than half of abused older people are over the age of 75.
• Forty per cent of abused older people live alone.
• More than half of alleged abusers are adult children or grandchildren.
• Abusers are almost as likely to be female as male.
• Four out of five alleged abusers are family/whānau; and we know that some family/whānau members continue to abuse their older relatives even when that person is in residential care.
• In more than two out of five cases the alleged abusers live with the older person, which highlights why ‘Elder Abuse hits close to home’.
   
• Age Concern is a charity.
• Freephone - 0800 65 2 105
• Age Concern New Zealand is the lead provider of Elder Abuse services in New Zealand.
• Local Age Concerns run social connection and health promotion programmes to combat social isolation and loneliness and to promote healthy ageing and lifestyles.
• Age Concern New Zealand has 40 locations across New Zealand. Each one provides services, information and advocacy in response to local needs.

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