Elder abuse under-recognised in Australian hospitals

A national study has found that elder abuse is being significantly under‑recognised in Australian hospitals and emergency departments, with researchers warning that the health system may be missing thousands of cases each year.

Published in the Medical Journal of Australia, the study examined linked hospital and aged care data from 965,986 older Australians across four states between 2010 and 2019. Only 580 people, or 0.06 per cent, had elder abuse recorded during a hospital admission or emergency department presentation.

This is far below national survey estimates, which suggest two to 15 per cent of older Australians experience abuse each year.

Associate Professor Stephanie Harrison, who led the study through the Registry of Senior Australians (ROSA) Research Centre at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) and Flinders University, said the findings reveal a major gap in detection.

“What we are seeing in hospital data may only be the tip of the iceberg,” she said.

“Elder abuse is often hidden, and it is likely that many cases are not identified or documented when older people present to emergency departments or are admitted to hospital.”