Bev Jowle: Elder abuse and coercive control are Australia's hidden shame
Elder abuse and coercive control are Australia's hidden shame.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, one in six people over the age of 65 have experienced elder abuse in the past year. That's 15 per cent of older Australians.
At Advocare, we've seen a big increase in reports of elder abuse in our community which is a cause for much concern. This abuse often starts with coercive control, typically over financial resources, technology or aged care support.
Coercive control is a manipulative and repetitive form of abuse used to exert control over another person, taking away their freedom and independence.
Often, because it's the people closest to them who cause harm, when an older person realises they are a victim, they are ashamed and genuinely wonder how it happened to them.
This leaves them in an extremely vulnerable position because they may not recognise they are experiencing abuse or mistreatment, making them less likely to seek help. Or they're aware of what's happening but choose not to seek help to maintain a relationship with the abuser.
To complicate matters, older people have the right to get help, but they also have the right not to.
Since most are harmed by someone they know and love, acknowledging the abuse can seem overwhelming. A strong sense of shame often pervades, and this is especially true of older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people where family honour is a central part of the culture.
The most common reasons older Australians don't report abuse are: fear of retaliation; shame or embarrassment; a desire to protect the person causing harm; dependence on the person causing harm for care; feelings of powerlessness; not recognising the behaviour as abuse.
Coercive control is frequently mixed with caring behaviour from the person doing harm, especially in the early stages of abuse. This inconsistency, and the fact it frequently does not involve physical violence, leaves coercive control difficult to recognise and even more difficult to prove.
If the abuse goes unnoticed, the person causing harm gains more control, cutting the older person out of decision-making and isolating them from friends and family. They might also manage the older person's finances and limit access to their own money or property.
Technology-facilitated incidents of coercive control are also being seen more often. The goal is to isolate older people and make them feel helpless to escape the abuse. It covers a range of behaviours which can be difficult for outsiders to detect.
Another tactic used to isolate and control older people is blocking or removing contacts on their phone. This means an older person can't phone other people who might be able to support them.
Financial gain is one of the biggest drivers of coercive control and takes multiple forms including restricting or refusing an older person's money being used on essential support and services, aids and equipment. This is done to conserve money, so their inheritance increases.
As people live longer, and cost-of-living pressures spiral, family members can access the savings and assets of the older person, often without their consent, and spend it on their own living expenses or luxury items such as holidays.
Housing affordability issues have contributed to 'assets for care' arrangements where property or money is handed over by an older person in exchange for permanent care.
It's an attractive option for people who don't want to move to an aged care home. Inter-generational living arrangements often mean older people are moved into a granny flat and younger family members occupy the main home.
While shared housing arrangements are wonderful when they work, it can spell disaster when things go wrong. If the older person is not legally on the property title, they can end up homeless.
Older people experiencing gaslighting, manipulation or social isolation are in a vulnerable position impacting their safety, quality of life, and even their longevity. It's essential they get support so we can stop abuse before it starts.
Advocare confidential Elder Abuse Helpline 1300 724 679
Bev Jowle is the chief executive officer of Advocare
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