Elder abuse can take various forms. It is not a consumer scam, but family violence.

In Victoria, it is described as: "any act which causes harm to an older person and is carried out by someone they know and trust, usually a family member."

With increasing awareness, there have been more reports of family violence involving older people in recent years. On a Crime Stoppers Victoria podcast series, police explained there were 5188 affected family members aged over 65 across the state in 2020. This was an increase from 3428 in 2016.

During the ongoing pandemic, there was an increase in emergency presentations of older people to hospital as well as of first responders attending family violence situations where the victim was an older person.

Melanie Joosten, policy officer at Seniors Rights Victoria, said the abuse was often perpetrated by an adult son or daughter towards their parents.

"The most common that we see is psychological or emotional abuse and threats, humiliation and pressure.

"We also see a significant amount of financial abuse - stealing a person's money or assets or getting them to sign over property or change their will."

Often stemming from a sense of entitlement, this can be called 'inheritance impatience', where a family member starts to use money before the older family member dies.

"We also see physical abuse - pushing, shoving or hitting - and sometimes the use of restraints where a person might have a cognitive impairment or dementia."

There can also be sexual abuse or neglect, where a person's needs are not taken care of, and commonly social abuse, where the older person is isolated from their community, medical services or friends.

Ms Joosten said elder abuse was often associated with a complicated family history or conflict.

"As people age, roles and responsibilities within the family change. As people age and become more vulnerable, fragile and in need of care, opportunistic family members might see it as their time to take over decision-making or force the parents or older person in their family to do things they wouldn't usually."

SRV clients are mainly aged in their 70s and 80s, though sometimes they are younger or older. The way different age groups experience abuse can be extremely different.

The agency's data from the last seven years shows that almost 40 per cent of perpetrators had some kind of mental health issue, while almost 35 per cent had a drug or alcohol issue.

"Situations we see are that people have grown up and not left the family home because of complex needs that make it hard to live independently or they have returned home as things have gone wrong in their own house or they've lost their job and returned to live with mum and dad who were happy enough to help but then the situation goes downhill," Ms Joosten said.

It is not exactly known how common elder abuse is as it is believed to be exceptionally underreported, but it is believed that about 14 per cent of older people are affected.

It is often a hidden crime as often victims do not recognise their experience as abuse.

Victims may also be reluctant to disclose the abuse as they are dependent on their abuser or because they are trying to protect the perpetrator due to shame or embarrassment.

"It is very underreported. Most people won't call the police or seek help when it's their child doing it to them," Ms Joosten said.

"Most feel a sense of shame and parental responsibility that the person they brought up is behaving like this, so they generally only [report] when they're at the end of their tether.

"We think it will increase as the population is ageing and becoming a larger proportion of the population."

One very common scenario in regional areas is older people being victimised by drug-affected adult children.

Maria and Carl, aged in their early seventies, had four adult children. Their youngest son, Michael, had a 22 year history of drug abuse which began in his late teens.

Throughout his 20s he lived out of home, but moved back in with his parents when his life fell apart.

It was meant to be a temporary arrangement until Michael got back on his feet, however when he did he refused to leave.

His mum suspected he began using ice not long after moving back in, as his behaviour became unpredictable and he was prone to sudden outbursts of rage.

Michael stopped showering and was constantly agitated. He would verbally abuse his parents, demand money from them, come home at all hours and damage their house and property.

Michael's parents became very frightened of their son and were too worried and ashamed to have visitors to their home.

They asked Michael to move out but when he refused, they moved all of his belongings to the shed.

Michael began living out of the shed, but continually demanded money and to be let inside the home. Police were called on several occasions - sometimes by Maria and Carl, and sometimes by neighbours.

Police saw an issue and contacted the CAT team, but Michael was not deemed to meet the criteria to be admitted to hospital involuntarily. The step infuriated Michael, who then became more abusive towards his parents.

Police told the couple that it was up to them to take action, so they contacted SRV.

After hearing about the situation, a SRV lawyer contacted police with concerns about the serious threat to Maria and Carl's safety and the need for urgent intervention.

Police then arranged an urgent meeting and made an application on Maria's behalf for a family violence intervention order that same afternoon.

The order was served that evening, allowing police to remove Michael from the home.

An advocate from SRV supported the couple through the process, informing them of their rights and what would happen at each stage of the process. They also ensured what they wanted for themselves and for Michael.

There are red flags to look for if it is suspected a person may be a victim of elder abuse, including increased anxiety, seclusion, physical injuries, not attending medical appointments or not being able to pay for things they usually would.

"If it's not something that's obvious, like injuries, the biggest indicator is an emotional change in the person, that they're withdrawn or not going out as much or they've lost their usual confidence."

Ms Joosten said confidence was a major red flag, including if a person is talking about giving up activities they used to enjoy or saying they are a burden. That's sometimes repeating thoughts the perpetrator might have put in their mind.

Ms Joosten said it could be difficult to identify elder abuse, so the best thing to do was to speak to the person themselves.

"The best thing to do if someone expects elder abuse is to talk to the older person themselves. Ask how they're feeling, if they are unwell or if anyone is pressuring them or if they are feeling disrespected by anyone. Or if there are any concerns or worries. That can often start the conversation."

Ms Joosten said the most important thing was to listen without judging, adding it was important to include the person in decision making and ask them what they wanted to do.

If they decide to, the older person can seek help from a service such as SRV. Aside from the helpline, it also has an advice service which involves the assistance of a lawyer and advocate.

"We will listen to the older person and what they have to say and then let them know what their rights and options are."

If they want to take it further, SRV can assist with applying for intervention orders, recovering money or sorting out property disputes.

Crime Statistics Agency data for the region shows increasing family violence incidents involving people aged 55 and above in this area. It shows there were 232 cases in Ballarat in the year ending March 2021, up from 157 the year before. There were also increases in Moorabool, Golden Plains and Pyrenees.

Though it must be noted that this was during a period that family violence increased across the board, and it is not yet clear if elder abuse specifically increased in this region during that period.

The Central Highlands Family Violence Investigation Unit's Detective Senior Sergeant Tony Coxall said elder abuse was a growing priority area for Victoria Police.

He said elder abuse was not commonly reported in the area, though when incidents were reported they were at an "advanced stage" of controlling behaviour, financial abuse or physical violence.

"While increasing figures suggest that more people are confident to report to police, we know that this crime is underreported, meaning vulnerable members of our community are suffering in silence."

He acknowledged the barriers to reporting but said nobody needed to feel alone.

"Like all forms of family violence, police treat these matters seriously, and we encourage anyone who believes they are a victim of elder abuse to reach out to police," he said.

The coronavirus pandemic has presented financial challenges for the community, meaning older people may be in more vulnerable positions as children become increasingly reliant on them for financial support.

"We are committed to protecting older people's safety and wellbeing and enabling older people in our community to lead dignified, secure and safe lives. Everyone has a right to feel safe."

Detective Senior Sergeant Coxall said police would continue to work with stakeholders and local support services who regularly interact with older people, including The Orange Door, Berry Street and City of Ballarat, to identify and address elder abuse.

"Local agencies are the eyes and ears when it comes to identifying suspected family violence, and they give us an opportunity to intervene early, take action and protect older people from harm."

Victoria Police commenced a trial across various police divisions in April 2020 - in collaboration with financial institutions and support agencies, including local councils and health networks - to better identify and respond to financial elder abuse.

The trial will conclude in June 2022, when it will be determined whether it is rolled out to other parts of the state. This would include Ballarat.

The issue of elder abuse is explored in detail in a new five-episode podcast by Crime Stoppers, called 'Elder Abuse - Prevention and Protection'.

Independent advice can be sought through SRV by calling 1300 368 821, or visiting their website. For all emergencies call Triple Zero (000).

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