Prevention of Violence Against Older Women
With funding from a NSW Domestic and Family Violence Grant, OWN NSW has conducted a mapping exercise of our knowledge of violence against older women and document examples of good practice to prevent the violence. OWN NSW is presently conducting a project, funded by the Commonwealth Department for Women, to encourage partnerships between the Aged, Health and Family Violence Sectors to prevent violence against older women, and increase referral by General Practices of older women to domestic violence specialists.
In consultation with a broad range of service providers, OWN NSW is developing a draft state and national strategy (The Disappearing Age) to prevent violence against older women. We have sought funding to continue developing and implementing this strategy.
Major findings and recommendations include:
- Older women experience significant levels of physical violence: One in four women surveyed who reported an incidence of physical violence in the twelve months prior to the survey was aged forty five and older (Australian Bureau of Statistics, Personal Safety, Australia, ABS, Canberra 2005. 4906.0 Reissue)
- Because violence against older women has fallen in a policy and service gap between domestic and family violence and older adult abuse, Australia is poorly prepared to respond to a problem which will assume significant proportions over the next twenty to thirty years.
- All the evidence suggests that a collaborative service system response across all the key agencies (health, aged, homelessness and family violence) is an essential step. Because the aged care sector is the major support system for older women (75% clients are women) and the vast majority of older women continue to live in the community , it is critical to include aged care policy makers and services in an integrated response to family violence if we are to reduce and prevent violence against older women.
- Domestic and family violence services will also need to broaden and diversify their responses and skills base to incorporate older women, to develop sensitive, respectful and flexible response that understands the complex and vulnerable nature of the lives of older women. There is growing evidence that a more diverse family violence sector is creating greater access for older women, able to develop safety plans and strategies for clients choosing to stay in their homes either with or without the abusive person.
- An urgent response is needed to the historically low funding of crisis services for homeless older women, and the provision of appropriate and affordable permanent accommodation.
For more information, please contact the OWN NSW Coordinator.
tel: 02 9247 7046
email: info@ownnsw.org.au
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