We Fall Short ! New aged care rules "Don't Go Far Enough"

Thursday, 15 March 2007 by IBN News

The elderly are still exposed to abuse despite changes to the federal government's aged care reporting regime, Democrats senator Lyn Allison has declared.

The senator says other forms of abuse need to be recognised.

"The government has left out psychological and financial abuse and neglect, even though it can have devastating affects on older people," she said. "The legislation also ignores the fact that elder abuse, like child abuse, is more likely to come from family and from carers at home where there is far less scrutiny than in aged care facilities."

Senator Allison said there was no one simple solution to the problem.

"(But) the government's reliance on mandatory reporting ignores all the other valuable approaches that should be adopted," she said.