The working definition is intended to be applied in the Elder Abuse National Research Program and, in particular, to inform the development of data collection instruments for an Australian Prevalence Study.
The proposed working definition set out in this paper will be applied and tested as part of the Prevalence Study.
At the conclusion of the study, it is expected a final research-based definition will have been developed that is appropriate to the Australian context and can be used to support any future research conducted in Australia.
In the interim, it is expected that the Australian Government will continue to refer to the World Health Organization's (WHO) definition of elder abuse.
The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) has developed the following working definition of elder abuse:
a single or repeated act or failure to act, including threats, that results in harm or distress to an older person. This occurs where there is an expectation of trust and/or where there is a power imbalance between the party responsible and the older person.