The Age Discrimination Commissioner has expressed her concern that the increasing financial stress on Australians being caused by COVID-19 could lead to a rise in the already problematic cases of financial elder abuse.
The Commissioner, Kay Patterson gave the example of older people’s independence and autonomy being limited in ways that went beyond public health advice during the pandemic.
“When taken to an extreme, these attitudes can result in elder abuse, leading to real harm to the older person, be it financial, physical, psychological, sexual, neglect, or a combination of these,” Dr Patterson said.
She said there were six key risk factors generally accepted for financial elder abuse.
These were a family member having a strong sense of entitlement to an older person’s property or possessions; an older person having diminished capacity; or an older person being dependent on a family member for care.
In addition, a family member may have a drug or alcohol problem; an older person may feel frightened of a family member; and an older person might lack awareness of his or her rights and entitlements.
“I am concerned that the increasing financial stress caused by the economic impacts of COVID-19 is likely to increase incidents of financial elder abuse,” Dr Patterson said.
“I am hearing more and more troubling stories from peak bodies and front-line workers of incidents ranging from pressure to change wills to misuse of bank accounts and powers of attorney.”
She said that in some parts of Australia helpline calls had gone up dramatically with one front-line service experiencing an increase of 40 per cent in the first half of this year, compared with last year.
“I have also heard from many lawyers about an increased demand for enduring documents, including wills, powers of attorney and advanced care directives, as well as changes to mortgage documents,” Dr Patterson said.
“I encourage people of all ages to have their enduring documents in place, but it is vital that these reflect the wishes and interests of the older person, not of those around them.”
