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Forum 2: Driving Long-Term Change 
Australia's Response to Elder Abuse 

On 15 June, 2021 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was marked by the second forum in the 'Walk the Talk Series' Driving Long-Term Change: Australia’s Response to Elder Abuse.

This forum discussed what Australia has achieved and what more must be done to end elder abuse since the Australian Law Reform Commission’s Elder Abuse – A National Legal Response report was released in June 2017, and the release of the Commonwealth’s National Plan to Respond to the Abuse of Older Australians (Elder Abuse) 2019-2023 in March 2019.

You can watch the forum below:        

Panel of Experts

Facilitated by Bev Lange, Executive Officer at EAAA, the forum featured the following panel of experts.  

Russell Westacott 

Russell was a founding member of Elder Abuse Action Australia and is currently co-chair of the organisation. Russell is also a member of the Advisory Board of the NSW Ageing and Disability Commission. Russell has 35 years' experience of working with vulnerable and marginalised communities. His background spans across HIV prevention and health promotion in both Australia and the USA. Russell has also worked on broader health and wellbeing programs across the wider LGBTIQ+ community.

As CEO of Seniors Rights Service for more than 10 years, Russell's work was pivotal in building a community led response to elder abuse and the development of the Older Persons Advocacy Network. Russell continues to be active in Australia’s national elder abuse prevention responses. He also remains involved as a community representative in the United Nations process towards the development of an international convention of the rights of older people.

Christopher Mikton (PhD)

Technical Officer, Demographic Change and Healthy Ageing, Department of Social Determinants of Health, Division of Healthier Populations, World Health Organization

Christopher Mikton’s areas of responsibility cover elder abuse, social isolation and loneliness, ageism and the Decade of Healthy Ageing “enabler” of data, research and innovation.

Christopher Mikton is a dual Swiss and American national. Before joining WHO's Demographic Change and Healthy Ageing Unit, he worked for 8.5 years in WHO's Prevention of Violence Unit (where one of his areas of responsibility was elder abuse). He has also worked in academia in the UK and a clinical scientist for the United Kingdom's Ministry of Justice and Department of Health's Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder Programme, as well as for the International Committee of the Red Cross. He was educated at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom (PhD and MPhil ) and McGill University in Montreal, Canada (BA).

Gemma Misrachi

Gemma Misrachi has been in the role of Coordinator at Tasmania Legal Aid’s Senior Assist since October 2020.  Gemma’s role involves coordinating legal advice and assistance, and elder abuse referrals to the Senior Assist team.  Gemma also coordinates community legal education and stakeholder engagement.  Gemma has previously worked as a Legal Practitioner at Tasmania Legal Aid prior to the commencement of the elder abuse service trial project, advising clients in relation to a range of issues affecting older people, including elder abuse and prevention. Gemma’s passion for human rights is highlighted by many years working in the anti-discrimination field.

Sue Leitch MoAgeing, B.Pharm, GAICD

Sue Leitch has been the CEO of COTA Tasmania since 2012. Sue is a pharmacist with a health policy background with extensive experience in health and ageing policy.  She has a Masters of Ageing from University of Melbourne. She has senior management experience in a number of organisations including the Pharmacy Guild of Australia. She has served on a number of Boards over her career, contributing to policy, and participating in projects and programs which benefited the community. She was past Chair of major disability provider in Li-Ve Tasmania. She is a member of the Community Council of Primary Health Network Tasmania and is a board member of EAAA (Elder Abuse Action Australia). She is also a mosaic artist and is the Tasmanian representative and Secretary of the Mosaic Association of Australia and New Zealand. Sue is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Her special areas of interest are ageism and its mental health impacts, health literacy, arts and wellbeing, and the role that age friendly communities and inclusion can play to benefit the health and wellbeing of older people. She is currently studying a Diploma in Fine Arts.

Lee Archer

Lee works at Justice Connect managing the Seniors Law program across NSW and Victoria, focusing on Elder Abuse.  Working in disability for NDIA as part of Scheme Design and rollout, Lee has worked to transform the sector to a market model that provides real options for people with disability as consumers, and promotes choice and control. As a consultant, Lee works with organisations in the health and justice sectors, as a facilitator, a service designer, a presenter and a researcher. Engaged with Yoke, Lee works with health and disability clients about system design and branding.

Justice Connect has Health Justice Partnerships  by embedding our lawyers across more than six sites in NSW and Victoria. The partnership works with health providers to identify and respond to elder abuse, and  delivers information, legal information and advice to older Australians.

Lesley Merrett

Lesley Merrett (she/her) has had the joy and privilege of living and working on the un-ceded land of the Larrakia people in Darwin since 1990.  She trained as a social worker in Victoria and has worked in a roles including direct practice, community development and policy work, across government and non-government sectors since 1986.  The common thread running through her professional roles has been trying to find /implement solutions for family and interpersonal abuse.  Since June 2019, she has been the NT Program Manager for the Elder Abuse Service Trial (Case Management & Mediation service model) being delivered by Relationships Australia Northern Territory.


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