Community Hub @ NEAC 2022
Sponsored by Relationships Australia
Elder Abuse Action Australia (EAAA) is proud to be presenting the Community Hub, sponsored by Relationships Australia. The Hub will display posters and an art exhibition during the 7th National Elder Abuse Conference – Walk the Talk, Stepping Up Together.
Walk the Talk is a conference that invites dialogue, debate and conversation about ending the abuse of older people wherever it occurs – in aged care residential settings, at home or in the systems and processes that surround us. The issues, ideas and challenges raised during Walk the Talk will encourage all delegates to continue their work, to drive change and to be voices for action.
The Community Hub, sponsored by Relationship Australia, invites delegates to browse the varied posters and exhibitions over the two days of the conference.
Relationships Australia is a federation of community-based, not-for-profit organisations with no religious affiliations. Our services are for all members of the community, regardless of religious belief, age, gender, sexual orientation, lifestyle choice, living arrangements, cultural background or economic circumstances.
Relationships Australia has, for over 70 years, provided a range of specialist services to Australians, including individual, couple and family group counselling, dispute resolution, services to older people, children’s services, services for victims and perpetrators of family violence, and relationship and professional education. We aim to support all people in Australia to live with positive and respectful relationships, and believe that people have the capacity to change how they relate to others and develop better health and wellbeing.
We respect the rights of all people, in all their diversity, to live life fully and meaningfully within their families and communities with dignity and safety, and to enjoy respectful relationships. A commitment to fundamental human rights, to be recognised universally and without discrimination, underpins our work.
We are delighted to sponsor the community hub at this year’s conference, and hope it will be a forum for meeting, sharing and collaboration.
Community Hub Exhibitions
Author: Australian Human Rights Commission
The Australian Human Rights Commission has developed an elder abuse bookmark and poster to prompt older people to consider whether they, or someone they know, may be experiencing elder abuse.
The bookmark concept was initially developed by ACT Legal Aid and has been adapted with their permission and tested with focus groups prior to distribution. The bookmark promotes the National Elder Abuse Phone Line 1800 ELDERHelp (1800 353 374), which was launched by the Federal Attorney-General on 19 March 2019 as part of the National Plan to Respond to the Abuse of Older Australians. To date, these materials have reached older Australians via various channels, including pharmacies, GPs, seniors’ groups and public libraries, and they have been included in seniors’ magazines and distributed with Seniors Cards.
The bookmark and poster are currently available in English, Italian, Greek, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Arabic, German, Spanish, Croatian, Vietnamese and Maltese. More translated versions will be rolled out in 2022.
Ageing My Way
Author: Peta Cook, Senior Lecturer at the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre at the University of Tasmania
Ageing My Way is a travelling exhibition designed to empower older people to share their preferences and desires for how they would like to age, using captioned photographs of older Tasmanians in their homes and communities. The creation of Ageing My Way and its Hobart exhibition were supported by the Tasmanian Government and the City of Hobart and curated by the University of Tasmania’s Dr Peta Cook and COTA Tasmania’s Dr Lyn McGaurr. By encouraging older people to voice their preferences, Ageing My Way respects their right to self-determination as they age by ensuring their interests are captured and shared, and as a form of elder-abuse prevention. Importantly, public exhibitions of Ageing My Way are held in association with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and Seniors Week activities, enabling it to serve as a catalyst for raising public awareness of elder abuse prevention and services, and the obligations of those nominated in enduring documents.
Ageing My Way participants were interviewed about how they wished to age, and a photograph of them was taken that related to their story. Participants were invited to the exhibition launch in Hobart and were asked to bring a family member. They were also encouraged to share their words and photographs with their adult children and other relatives to prompt discussions about their wishes, and to initiate a broader conversation about enduring documents. At the public exhibition, multiple agencies provided contextualised information about enduring documents, nominee obligations, and elder abuse services.
Ageing My Way exhibitions have been held in Hobart, Launceston and Burnie. With participant permission, the words and images have also shared online to celebrate ageing and promote the autonomy and diversity of older people in our community, and the value of letting family members know your wishes.
Exploring Diverse Perspectives of Abuse of Older People
Authors: Inner West Region Elder Abuse Collaborative: Kate Kennedy, Yumi Lee, Tuong-Vi Pham, Nicole Pryor, Sandra Loyola-Sandoval, Sharitah Shanmuganathan, Mary Ciantar.
A member of the Ageing and Disability Commission collaborative network, the Inner West Region Elder Abuse Collaborative is made up of multiple local government, non-government and multicultural organisations who work with diverse groups of the population. Formed 4 years ago, the collaborative aims to raise awareness in the community and to work together to mitigate and respond to abuse of vulnerable people in the community of the Inner West region of Sydney.
This poster/digital presentation describes the progress of a community research project which is investigating how abuse is talked about and perceived, within the diverse senior communities of the Inner West of Sydney.
The research team is made up of members of the Inner West Region Elder Abuse Collaborative (IWREAC).
Preventing Financial Abuse
Author: Wendy Revel, Caxton Legal Centre
When Caxton Legal Centre’s Financial Protections Service worker is out and about in the community talking to people, they often say they don’t want to think about their financial future or financial safety. They feel daunted by an increasingly complex financial, banking and consumer choice landscape. Post-retirement, if they experience financial losses due to abuse, divorce or separation, financial exclusion, mismanagement, fraud or other financial shocks, they are less likely to recover financially and may enter poverty or deepen their experience of poverty. The challenge is to encourage and equip people to plan for the future and protect themselves. Caxton Legal Centre’s poster illustrates one well-received approach to translate complexity into ‘child’s play’ using familiar and iconic board games.
My Plight as a Senior
Authors: Cheryl Dianne Kerr and Ramnik Walia, Aged and Disability Rights Advocate, Darwin Community Legal Services.
Cheryl Dianne Kerr is a senior, aged 72. With the help of her Advocate, she has written a letter to the Minister that raises concerns about practices adopted by the aged care providers in the Northern Territory.
Cheryl’s letter is direct, courageous and asks the Minister to take appropriate action to safeguard care and safety of seniors.
Podcast Series: Growing Stronger - Where Knowledge is Power
Author: Tanya Chapman, Solicitor and elder law specialist, Catherine Henry Lawyers.
In this series of podcasts Tanya discusses intriguing and interesting legal cases involving: contested estates, elder abuse, elder law family law and health law.
Bring your headphones and scan the QR code to listen on your own device.
Culture Corner
Internationally renowned pakana weaver Aunty Colleen Mundy and Cheryl Mundy share photos and materials from the landscape of lutruwita and from Elders’ activities. Participants will have the opportunity to twine and coil to create small take-home items during relaxed conversations.
General Enquiries:
P: 1800 960 026
Delegate Services:
Nectar Creative Communications
P: 1300 878 815
E: enquiriesneac2022@nectarcc.com.au