The Coalition today promised to spend $15 million on a national strategy to stop elder abuse.
Attorney-General George Brandis made the announcement to coincide with Elder Abuse Awareness Day, saying the money would be spent on a prevalence study, national campaign, setting up a hotline and staff training.
Eddie Micallef from Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria told SBS abuse within migrant communities may not always be reported.
"I think some communities may feel it shouldn’t be raised and should not being discrediting to the whole community,” he said.
Abuse can come in the from within the family, Indian-born Omila Bir told SBS.
She said some newly-arrived parents are coerced into household chores and child-minding by their families.
“And often sons will think the bulk of the family wealth is coming to them, so they have all the rights to ask the parents to sell the parental property and provide them with all the funds” she said.
Sue Field, from the University of Western Sydney's School of Law told SBS she'd like to see an increase in legal services for seniors.
“So it’s much easy for a person, a victim, to regain their assets as it were,” she said.
“I’d like to see a massive increase in pro-bono legal services for older people.”
Australia's Law reform commission and the NSW government are working on legislative change.
Mr Brandis told a National Seniors Australia (NSA) forum south of Brisbane on Wednesday elder abuse is a human rights issue.
"I am appalled at the accounts of mistreatment, neglect and, in some cases, even physical and sexual abuse of older people."
The problem, which also involved financial abuse, was underappreciated in Australia, Senator Brandis said.
"Far too often, the problem of elder abuse has been a silent problem because the people who are the victims of it are vulnerable and voiceless and often don't know where to turn," he added.
"Sadly, it is true that the perpetrators of the abuse are younger members of their own families."
Senator Brandis called for a national conversation about elder abuse, similar to recent dialogues about domestic and family violence.
NSA founder and former chair Everald Compton said it was a growing problem and recalled recent meetings with two Woodridge women whose families wanted their inheritance before they died.
"They were forced out of their homes," he said.
"Their homes were sold, the families agreed to look after them, then decided not to and they're now homeless.
"That's the sort of elder abuse that's happening."
Michael O'Neill, the current NSA chairman, agreed the issue had been swept under the carpet for too long.
"The upside for older Australians is they are major contributors to the community, to the economy," he said.
"They deserve, at that time in their life, respect from their families and society."
Mr O'Neill welcomed the coalition promises but also wanted more detail about how the measures would be implemented.
-With AAP
