Addressing elder abuse through integrating law into health: What do allied health professionals at a Community Health Service in Melbourne, Australia, think?

• Published in: Australasian journal on ageing 2020-06, Vol.39 (2), p.e220-e225
• Main Authors: Lewis, Virginia J., White, Vanessa, Hawthorne, Faith, Eastwood, Jess, Mullins, Robyn
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Allied Health Personnel; Australia; Community Health Services; Elder Abuse; elder neglect; health care; Humans; Innovation and Translation; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 1440-6381; 1741-6612; 1741-6612
• DOI: 10.1111/ajag.12720

This research looked at the attitudes of Community Health Service (CHS) staff regarding the integration of a lawyer into their CHS both before and after the integration occurred. It assessed their confidence in identifying and addressing elder abuse at each point. A written survey was distributed to staff before the lawyer commenced (n = 126), and approximately 12 months afterwards (n = 54). The preliminary survey demonstrated widespread agreement that legal issues can affect older people and supported having a lawyer in a CHS. Respondents were not confident about their capacity to identify abuse and provide referrals to a lawyer, but this improved in the follow‐up survey. These CHS staff were aware of the potential impacts of elder abuse and supported embedding a lawyer in the health service. Information and training as part of this service model should focus on the skills needed for CHS staff to play their role in such a partnership.