Almost 40 per cent of people living in aged care facilities experience abuse, according to a new research paper shedding light on poorly understood rates of mistreatment.
The experimental estimates by the Office of the Royal Commission into Aged Care were formed using a survey of 391 residents or their representatives conducted by the National Ageing Research Institute.
Neglect was the most common form of abuse reported with 30.8 per cent, including concerns about help with showering and going to the toilet, managing medication and looking after wounds.
The rate of reported emotional abuse was 22.6 per cent, including being treated like a child or shouted at.
Physical abuse, such as being restrained or treated roughly by staff, was reported at five per cent.
An Australian Elder Abuse Prevalence Study is under way for people living in the community, however, the research paper notes a lack of knowledge about the extent to which abuse occurs in residential care.
"An opportunity to fill this gap has emerged through the survey of aged care facility residents that was recently conducted for the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety," it states.
The survey was not designed to measure the prevalence of elder abuse, however responses were used to create the estimates.
Abuse can also take the form of financial, social and sexual abuse that could not be estimated using the data available.
Estimates of elder abuse internationally vary considerably with ranges from 0.4 to 81.8 per cent for neglect and 6.3 to 78.9 per cent for psychological abuse.
There are no national elder abuse prevalence rates produced in Australia and it's hoped the research paper will provide a platform for further research.
Labor's spokesperson for seniors, Julie Collins, said the report's findings are shocking.
"These figures confirm just how broken our country’s aged care system is under the Morrison Government."
She called for the urgent implementation of recommendations by the Law Reform Commission three years ago.
"It has been more than three years since this scheme was first recommended by the Australian Law Reform Commission following its landmark investigation of elder abuse in Australia.
"Australia’s aged care system was broken before the COVID-19 pandemic and this is only putting extra stress on the system."
Additional reporting by Biwa Kwan.
