Compass 2026 User Survey Results

Earlier this year, we asked Compass visitors to participate in a user survey. We wanted to better understand their experiences of the website and – more importantly – their general experience of getting help with tackling elder abuse.

Hundreds of people responded, including older people seeking help, carers, family members, professionals and service providers.

• Most were older people themselves: three-quarters were aged 65 or over, and almost half were 75 or older.

• Women made up 4 out of every 5 respondents.

• Over half reported living with a disability or long-term health condition.

Just over half of respondents had previously sought help for elder abuse, either for themselves or someone else. Among this group, online resources and police or legal services were used most often, followed by the national Elder Abuse Helpline and aged care services.

A key takeaway was that awareness of Compass was strong among respondents.

• 4 in 5 respondents had already heard of Compass.

• Nearly half had used our website or resources on previous occasions.

• Our newsletter, social media and internet searches were the most popular ways people learned about Compass, which says a lot about the value of staying in regular, direct contact with our community.

When we asked how respondents preferred to receive information, our website and email newsletter tied as the top choices. Printed materials and community events were also highly valued, particularly by older and less digitally connected respondents.

What emerged most strongly from people’s responses is a gap between being informed and being helped. Many respondents described a system that explains what elder abuse is but doesn’t step in when someone needs direct support.

People spoke of being passed between services, calling number after number, but never reaching someone who could act. Financial abuse and misuse of legal provisions especially misuse of power of attorney, were the most common concerns, and respondents said legal help was often too expensive, too slow or too hard to find.

Several noted that the Elder Abuse Helpline only operates on weekdays and called for a 24/7 service to cover after-hours crises. People in regional and rural areas said online resources were often their only option, with little or no local support. Carers and family members trying to help someone else reported feeling overlooked and wanted more practical guidance for their own role. Culturally and linguistically diverse respondents and LGBTQIA+ respondents highlighted the need for culturally appropriate, multilingual and community-specific resources.

These findings give Compass a clear set of priorities for the work ahead, including enhanced search, plain-English guidance on financial and legal abuse, clearer ‘next step’ pathways to direct support, more resources for non-digital and CALD audiences, more content for carers and professionals, and wider access to recordings. Some of this work is already underway.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experience. It is incredibly valuable to have such detailed insights into how we can improve people’s access to quality information and services to help them understand, prevent and respond to elder abuse.