Speak Out August 2021

AGED CARE

OPAN eLearning program: Abuse of the older person

Abuse of the older person is a major social issue impacting men and women in the home, community and residential setting. Elder abuse is any act which causes harm to the older person, and often involves a perpetrator in a position of trust. It has been estimated that 39.2% of older Australians in residential aged care may experience neglect, emotional abuse, and/or physical abuse (ACQS, 2020). Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) has partnered with the Human Rights Commission to produce a series of eLearning modules for health, allied health and aged care professionals on the abuse of the older person, their rights and supports. Information has been developed in engaging bite sized chunks of interactive and video material. Speech Pathology Australia has contributed a video and collection of resources to Module 1 to this eLearning program, to improve awareness among health professionals of the importance of recognising and responding to the communication support needs of their older clients. This includes case studies to develop a deeper understanding of how communication impairment may increase vulnerability to abuse and present barriers for an individual in speaking up and reporting abuse if it occurs. Health professionals are encouraged to refer to speech pathology for tailored communication supports; working as a team can ensure all older people are empowered with communication along their health journey, to make choices and self-advocate. Members are encouraged to visit https://learninghub. opan.org.au/opan/1753-module-1-understanding- abuse-of-the-older-person-and-their-rights to view the three free modules, which include presentations from subject matter experts addressing the various complexities of elder abuse. Consider encouraging your peers and other colleagues to watch this as well, it may just help start up a conversation about the importance of communication!

Inside the eLearning program Module 1: Understanding abuse of the older person and their rights Module 2: Identifying, responding to, and preventing abuse of the older person Module 3: Rights of older people, Power of Attorney the law and organisational governance Learning objectives 1. Define the various forms of abuse of older people. 2. Identify signs and risk factors for abuse of the older person, recognising that abuse situations are often complex, deeply personal, and individual. 3. Assess abuse of the older person using different support mechanisms and communication styles. 4. Respond appropriately to signs of abuse. 5. Provide support to older people to mitigate risks associated with abuse and refer them to advocacy networks & other support services, where appropriate. 6. Acknowledge the rights of self-determination of all older people, raise awareness of the harmful effects of ageism and ageist attitudes. 7. Understand the diversity of older Australians and provide culturally aware supports and information. 8. Build organisational governance capacity.

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August 2021 | Speak Out