Not seen or heard: Recognising & responding to abuse of older people

A 2 day workshop for workers who provide services wholly or partly to older people.

Last updated: 27 January 2026
  • 29/4/26 , 9:00 am
  • 17/9/26 , 5:00 pm
  • Various is Wollongong, North Parramatta, and Darlinghurst
  • Various
  • NSW Health
  • Register here

Older people in our communities often experience a profound imbalance of power in their relationships as their status as older people diminishes and their care needs increase.

This power imbalance can be exploited across relationships with partners, carers, adult children and in institutional settings.

The range of abuses experienced by older people include physical and sexual violence, emotional and financial abuse. For some people this abuse is a continuation of abuse across their lifespan eg domestic violence, whilst for others, past experiences of abuse may resurface later in life.

This 2 day course looks at recognising and responding to experiences of abuse of older people. It also provides opportunities to discuss appropriate responses to both current and past abuse, in a context of human rights and access to safety, justice and services on an individual, interagency and societal level. Strategies for prevention are showcased.

  • Identify the range of practices of abuse of older people carried out by family, caregivers and the community

  • Examine personal beliefs and responses to the abuse of older people

  • Discuss the context and impacts of abuse in older people’s lives, including the impacts of life experiences and community beliefs about older people

  • Develop flexible strategies of responding to both current and past abuse which prioritise human rights, self-determination, and access to safety, justice and services on an individual, interagency, community and societal level

  • Discuss the value of cross-agency collaboration to enhance service provision

Workshops will be held in three locations on the following dates:

Wollongong

Wednesday 29 April at 9am to Thursday 30 April 5pm

North Parramatta

Wednesday 22 July at 9am to Thursday 23 July at 5pm

Darlinghurst

Wednesday 16 September at 9am to Thursday 17 September at 5pm

Cost

  • Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples - Free

  • NSW Health Workers for all NSW Health Funded courses - Free

  • Non-NSW Health Workforces attending NSW Health Funded courses - $150 /course

  • All workforces pay for Non-Health Funded Courses - $150 /course

Visit the page linked below to find out more