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Elder Abuse
Prevention Unit
KEY FINDINGS
The Elder Abuse Prevention Unit
The Elder Abuse Prevention Unit (Queensland) received 1,534 abuse notications in 2019–20.
Of these, 1,223 related to abuse in close or intimate relationships and 311 involved abuse in
consumer and social relationships.
Abuse in Close or Intimate Relationships
• Psychological and nancial abuse
were most common
• Substantially more psychological
abuse was reported during the
COVID lockdown in April 2020 than
other months
• Financial abuse was reported less
often during the April–June 2020
quarter than other quarters of the
year
• In 36.9% of cases, abuse occurred
daily
Abuse Types and Frequency
Victims
• 25.9% aged 80–84 years
• 67. 6% female
• 47. 6% widowed
• 33 .1% had impaired capacity
• 51.0% had care needs
Perpetrators
• 21.3% aged 50 –54 years
• 52.7% male
• 15.4% mental illness
• 16.2% issues with substance misuse
• 13.4% criminal history
Funded by
Relationship Between Victims and Perpetrators
• 70.9% of perpetrators were
sons and daughters
• 25.0% reported long-term
issues in family relationships
• 53.4% of victims and
perpetrators lived together
• 26.9% of victims were
dependant on perpetrators
• 24.9% of perpetrators were
dependent on victims
• Cohabitation rates were
signicantly higher in the
April—June 2020 quarter,
aligning with the COVID
lockdown
• Most common precipitating
factors for abuse were
ill-health (victims) and
commencing cohabitation
Son
37%
Other family
3.1%
Sibling
4.4%
Grandchild
5.6%
Daughter
34%
Informal
carer 1.7%
Spouse
partner 12.1%
Friend
2.3%
75.6%
68.5%
23.3%
18.6%
18.6%
1.2%
0% 10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%
Psychological (n = 1,137)
Financial (n = 1,030)
Social (n = 350)
Physical (n = 280)
Neglect (n = 279)
Sexual (n = 18)
PROPORTION OF VICTIMS
TYPE OF ABUSE
Elder Abuse
Prevention Unit
KEY FINDINGS
Abuse in Consumer and Social Relationships
Of the cases of abuse involving abuse in consumer and social relationships, 25.3% related
to aged care services, 29.9% concerned other consumer relationships and 44.8% involved
abuse in social relationships. Types of abuse reported diered across relationship types.
Abuse in Other Consumer
Relationships
• 59.8% involved accommodation
services, with more than half
relating to retirement villages
• 29.9% of victims were aged 80–84 years
• 50.7% female victims
• 56.8% male perpetrators
• Psychological and nancial abuse were
most common
Abuse in Social Relationships
• 70.3% involved neighbourhood
bullying
• 26.6% of victims were aged
80–84 years
• 69.8% female victims
• 50.0% female perpetrators and 50.0% male
perpetrators
• Psychological and nancial abuse were
most common
Funded by
Abuse Involving Aged Care Services
• Within aged care facilities,
90.2% of reported issues
were related to the quality
of care being provided
• Within home care
services, 66.7% of
reported issues were
related to the quality of
care being provided
• 24.6% of victims were
aged 80–84 years and
24.6% aged 90–94 years
• 57.1% female victims
• 58.3% female perpetrators
• Psychological and physical
abuse were most common
Abuse Types and Frequency
Aged Care
Worker &
Facility 3.7%
Aged Care
Facility
70.7%
Aged Care
Worker 8.5%
Home Care
Worker 15.9%
Home Care
Agency 1.2%
Financial Neglect Physical Psychological Sexual Social
TYPE OF ABUSE
PROPORTION OF VICTIMS
19.5%
53.6%
35.9%
31.7%
8.2%
3.4%
32.9%
10.3%
17. 2%
43.9%
68.0%
79.3%
4.9%
1.0% 2.8%
15.9 % 15. 5%
19.3%
Aged Care
Other Consumer
Social
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%