Preventing the
Financial Abuse of
Older People by their
Family Members
Assoc. Professor Dale
Bagshaw, PhD
Adjunct, School of Social
Work & Social Policy,
University of South
Australia
Workshop, September 2012
Copyright: Associate Prof Dale Bagshaw, 2012.
1
Our prior UniSA research 2007
Associate Professor Dale Bagshaw
 Dr Sarah Wendt
 Dr Lana Zannettino
In 2007, we conducted research and wrote the
following South Australian State Plan for the
Government’s Office for the Ageing:

Our Actions for the Prevention of Abuse of Older
South Australians
http://www.sapo.org.au/pub/pub11143.html
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(c) Associate Prof Dale Bagshaw, UniSA
2
A related publication

Bagshaw, D., Wendt, S & Zannettino, L.
Preventing the Abuse of Older People by
their Family Members. Stakeholder Paper
7, Australian Domestic and Family
Violence Clearing House, September 2009.
http://www.adfvc.unsw.edu.au
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(c) Associate Prof Dale Bagshaw, UniSA
3
Our current research team: Australian
Research Council Linkage Grant




Associate Professor Dale Bagshaw (UniSA)
Dr Sarah Wendt (UniSA)
Dr Lana Zannettino (Flinders University)
Dr Valerie Adams (UniSA Research Associate)
in partnership with






SA Dept for Families & Communities (Disability, Ageing and
Carers Branch),
Relationships Australia SA,
Office of the Public Advocate,
Alzheimer’s Australia SA
Guardianship Board and
supported by the Aged Rights Advocacy Service.
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4
The focus of our current research, funded by
the Australian Research Council
Preventing the Financial Abuse of
Older People by a Family member:
 Designing and Evaluating an Older
Person-Centred Model of Family
Mediation

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5
The importance of language
We use the phrase
‘abuse of older people’ not
‘elder abuse’
out of respect for our
Indigenous Elders.
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6
What age determines when
one is ‘old’?




Varies from 45-65 depending on the
researcher, organisation or service
ABS – starts at 45 which reflects the lower
life expectancy of Indigenous adults.
Commonwealth Age pension – 65+ for
males, 60-65 for females, depending on
when they were born
For our research – 65+
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Old Woman Dozing by Nicolaes
Maes (1656).
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Definitions and types of abuse
The most commonly used definition of
abuse of older people in Australia is:

Any act occurring within a
relationship where there is an
implication of trust, which results in
harm to the older person. Abuse can
include physical, sexual, financial,
psychological, social and/or neglect.
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10
Responses to the definition from service providers
in our prior research (2007)
The vast majority of respondents to our
survey of service providers supported the
need for a broader understanding of abuse
to include:
 abuse occurring in relationships where
there is an imbalance of power and
control (80%) (central to definitions of
domestic and family violence).
 abuse of older people can be gendered
(86%)
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




Other additions to the definition from
service providers in our prior research
(2007)
abuse of an older person’s rights (86%)
cultural abuse (86%)
spiritual abuse (85%)
abuse of an older person’s pets (85%).
abuse can also involve a negligent act or a
failure to act, as in cases of neglect
(73%).
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Abuse is more than physical



It is likely that many members of the
community may not have heard the term
‘elder abuse’ and/or may only believe that
behaviour is abusive if it is physical.
Non-physical forms of abuse may be
subtle and hard to detect.
The older person may be subjected to
several different kinds of abuse at the
same time to a lesser or stronger degree.
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‘Mistreatment’ – a term sometimes
used instead of abuse

It can involve an act of commission
(abuse) or omission (neglect) which can
be
 intentional, wilful, deliberate or
malicious, or
 unintentional, benign, passive or
reckless.
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Types of abuse
 physical
abuse can include being
pushed, hit, sexually assaulted,
burned or physically restrained
 psychological abuse can include
humiliation, insults, threats or
being treated like a child.
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Neglect

Neglect can include
passive neglect: being left alone,
isolated, or forgotten and
 active neglect: withholding of items
that are necessary for daily living, such
as food and medicine, or placing older
people in isolated or substandard care.

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Types of abuse


Medical abuse can include the
inappropriate use of restraints or the
withholding or careless administration of
drugs, failure to treat an illness etc
Social and environmental abuse can
include a failure to provide necessary
human services and involuntary social
isolation
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Financial abuse
making improper use of an older person’s
property or money without his or her
knowledge or permission such as
 forgery
 stealing
 forced changes to a will
 involuntary transfer of money or property to
another person
 withholding funds from the older person and the

failure to repay loans.
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Financial abuse


Can also include the misappropriation of
enduring powers when a trusted person
(usually a family member) is legally
appointed with enduring powers to
manage the financial affairs of the older
person whose frailty is increasing and can
no longer manage their own affairs.
With the ageing population and the
increasing complexity associated
with financial management, this type
of abuse is likely to increase.
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Our findings from 2007 research
The abuse of older people
 is an under-researched and hidden
problem
 occurs across the spectrum of our society
 is often unrecognised, unreported, and
hard to detect.
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Prevalence



Australian and overseas studies have
estimated that between 3 and 5% of older
people aged 65 years and over and living
at home suffer from various forms of
abuse or neglect (Kurrle 2004, p.809).
These figures vary with the methods and
definitions used.
Most of the abused older people are
women
(Rabiner, O’Keefe & Brown, 2004).
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Prevalence in Australia

Australian Institute of Criminology found
that ‘4.6% of older people are victims of
physical, sexual or financial abuse,
perpetrated by family members and those
in a duty of care relationship’ (Kinnear &
Graycar 1999, p.1).
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Abuse of older people with dementia


Strong link between abuse of older people
and dementia.
Increasing number of people diagnosed
with dementia specifically in the older age
groups who will not be able to manage
their financial affairs.
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Prevalence and types of abuse

Researchers have found that psychological
and financial abuse—non-physical forms of
abuse—are the most likely forms of abuse
to be reported by people 65 and over
(Schofield et al 2002: 25).

Financial abuse is emerging as a
significant form of abuse - there is a need
for financial literacy training, support from
the financial services industry, education
and specialised legal services. (Office of Seniors
Victoria, 2005 & 2012)
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Financial abuse of older people
by relatives

Many researchers have concluded that the
people most likely to commit financial abuse are
the older person’s relatives, in particular their
adult daughter or son
(Brill, 1999; Cripps, 2001; Boldy, Webb, Horner, Davey, & Kingley, 2002;
Faye & Sellick, 2003; Johnson 1997; Cavanagh 2003).

The Office of the Public Advocate in Western
Australia found that, during 1995-1998, 10% of
applications alleged financial abuse and relatives
were most often the alleged perpetrators.
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25
Financial abuse from relatives


2004 study – 80-90% of abusers of older
people in Australia were close family
members. (Kurrle 2004, p.809).
Adult children or other family members
are most likely to provide the assistance
required by the disabled or dependent
elderly person. (Kinstle, Hodell and Golding, 2008)
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Gender and abuse


The Aged Rights Advocacy Service in South
Australia found financial abuse in one third of
100 cases over a period of 2 years, the majority
of which involved women as victims aged over
75 years (James & Graycar, 2000; Cripps, 2001).
Other studies have found that abuse of older
people within the family is still largely the abuse
of older women by older and younger men, and
that older women are particularly at risk of
financial abuse, physical abuse, and sexual
abuse (e.g. see Penhale 1999; Boldy et al. 2002; Faye & Selleck
2003; Nerenberg 2008).
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Gender and abuse


The gendered nature of the abuse of older
people is still relatively invisible in
Australia
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2006)
found that one in four women who have
experienced an incident of physical
violence is aged 45 years and older, a
finding supported by other Australian
research (e.g. Morgan Disney & Associates 2000).
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28
DV and older women


The domestic violence sector has tended to
focus on younger women and their
dependent children and until recently has not
paid as much attention to older women’s
experiences.
Abuse of older adults is highly likely to be
‘spouse abuse grown old’
(e.g. Nerenberg 2008; Leisey, Kupstas & Cooper, 2009;
Brandl, 2000).
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Older women’s experiences may be
different to those of older men



They tend to live longer than men and
are more likely to be financially abused after
their partner dies (Brozowski & Hall 2004)
They are more likely to be abused by a
broader range of family members than men
(Livermore, Bunt & Biscan 2001).

They are less likely to have access to
superannuation and, therefore, more likely to
rely on the Aged Pension (Association of
Superannuation Funds of Australia 2011).
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Financial abuse of older Aboriginal
Australians

Financial abuse has also been found
to be the most common form of
abuse experienced by older Australian
Aboriginal people (Office of the Public
Advocate, 2005).

Due to colonisation, dispossession
and oppression (NT - ‘humbugging’)
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ATSI Social Justice
Commissioner…. Mick Gooda


… says a culture of bullying among Indigenous
communities is being fed by harsh Native Title
laws and feelings of dispossession.
Lateral violence…..which occurs when people
who are victims of a situation of dominance,
turn on each other instead of confronting the
system that oppresses them …… is a major
problem in indigenous communities.
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32
Culturally and linguistically diverse
(CaLD)
older adults are at risk of abuse because of
 poor English skills
 social isolation
 dependency on family members
 cross-generational factors which result in
differing expectations of care and support
 fear of being shamed by and excluded
from their communities
(Office of the Public Advocate in Western Australia, 2006)
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33
New and emerging populations
face additional challenges in re-settlement
For example





family unemployment,
poverty,
the changed roles and rights of older people
(particularly older women),
lack of family support and intervention,
social isolation, and inter-generational conflicts
(Bonar & Roberts 2006).
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Our research
Aims of the first stage of our research



To critically analyse the current national and
international research and identify models of intervention
designed to prevent the abuse
To identify and analyse individual, structural & ecological
factors which place people at risk of financial abuse
To identify the existing strengths & gaps in national
legislation, organisational policies & service provision
currently responding to older people experiencing
financial abuse from a family member
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Methods used to gather data
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Extensive review of the literature
Ethics approval from UniSA’s Human Research Ethics
Committee
Online national survey of CEOs of organisations
servicing older people and of family mediation
agencies, using SurveyMonkey (the link to the survey
emailed to CEOs and adverts placed in relevant
publications) – quantitative & qualitative data collected
2-day phone-in with older people and their relatives
National on-line survey of older people and their
relatives (asked CEOs and service providers to
distribute the link and placed adverts in publications
and The Australian).
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Total number of survey responses
CEOs
 Service providers
 Relatives
 Older people
TOTAL:

8/04/2015
228 responses
214 responses
69 responses
45 responses
556 responses
(c) Associate Prof Dale Bagshaw, UniSA
37
Causal and risk factors

CEOs and service providers were asked to
check the factors which contributed to the
financial abuse of older people (multiple
responses were possible) and to add other
factors if they wished.
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Risk factors for the financial abuse of older
people by their relatives
CEOs
(n=164)
Service
providers
(n=160)
Total
(n=324)
1
Family member having a strong sense of
entitlement to older person’s property/possessions
128
135
263
2
3
Family member with a drug or alcohol problem
Older person dependent on a family member for
care
Older person with diminished capacity, e.g.
dementia, depression, mental illness
128
126
127
129
255
255
115
131
246
122
110
109
117
231
227
110
115
225
111
108
219
104
107
211
94
99
193
98
91
189
4
5
6
Family member with a gambling problem
Older person feeling frightened of a family
member
7 Older person lacking awareness of his/her rights
and entitlements
8 Family member who has a history of using
violence/abuse
9 Older person lacking awareness of financial or
other services
10 Older person who has felt coerced into granting
Power of Attorney to a family member
11 Family member who is mentally ill
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Risk factors for the financial abuse of older
people by their relatives
CEOs
Service
(n=164) providers
(n=160)
Total
(n=324)
12 Family member who is poor or unemployed
94
95
189
13 Cultural attitudes to ageing and to older people
90
98
188
14 Families caring for older people having limited or
no access to support networks or services
15 Older person living with a disability
16 Older person having limited or no access to their
money, housing or other resources
17 Older person who has been a victim of
violence/abuse from a family member
18 Cultural beliefs and customs in relation to older
people’s finances and/or property
19 Reluctance of professionals to intervene in family
matters
20 Older person having limited or no access to formal
support services
21 Poor communication between members of an older
person’s family
22 Older person having limited or no access to
informal support networks
23 Older people with limited use of the English
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language
86
86
172
81
76
88
93
169
169
82
83
165
81
84
165
78
75
153
72
80
152
62
86
148
68
72
140
61
69
130
40
Causes and risk factors – CEOs & service providers
24 Older people from Indigenous communities
61
54
115
25 Service providers lacking awareness of the issue
53
60
113
26 Inadequate legislation in relation to financial abuse
of older people
27 Older people from culturally and linguistically
diverse communities
28 Older people living in rural or remote areas
29 Inadequate provision of services for older people
54
54
108
51
48
99
49
45
45
48
94
93
30 Older person who has abused his/her children in
the past
31 Older person sharing a farm or business with a
family member
32 Poor communication/collaboration between
agencies
33 Poor communication/collaboration between
professionals
34 Family members living a long way from the older
person and/or each other
35 Family member who has particular religious or
spiritual beliefs
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53
90
37
48
85
38
42
80
37
35
72
37
29
66
19
19
38
41
Preventative strategies


Respondents were asked to rank 12
strategies that may enhance the
prevention of financial abuse of older
people by a family member in order of
importance
Responses were received from 132 CEOs
& 123 service providers = total 255
responses.
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Strategies to prevent the financial abuse of older
CEOs
people
(n=132)
Service
providers
(n=123)
Total
(n=255)
61
171
113
46
159
112
40
152
110
38
148
Acknowledge, support & uphold the rights of older
people
Raise the status of older people in Australian
communities with acknowledgement & support for their
rights
Provide information/education to older people and their
families
Raise family & community awareness of financial abuse
of older people
Increase education & training of relevant professionals
110
114
30
144
6
Increase resources/funding for preventative services to
vulnerable older people and their families
112
30
142
7
Increase accessibility of culturally appropriate services
to older people at risk of abuse
109
32
141
8
More family services that directly address the issue of
prevention and early intervention
Increase accessibility of culturally appropriate services
to families with older members
110
27
137
109
20
129
Change legislation and policies
Improve inter-disciplinary and inter-agency
collaboration
More research of ways to prevent the financial abuse of
older people b y a family member
106
106
22
21
128
127
103
15
118
1
2
3
4
5
9
10
11
12
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43
Reasons for concern



Older people and their family members were
asked how concerned they were about the
management of the older person’s property,
finances or other assets now, or as s/he gets
older
Respondents who answered ‘Yes’ or ‘Maybe’
were asked to check a list of 13 concerns as a
multiple response question
31 participants responded.
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44
Reasons for concern (responses from 31 OP and relatives)
Reason for concern
Percentage
No of
responses
A family member borrowed property or money and
not repaid the older person or given things back as
agreed
A family member coerced or persuaded the older
person to sign papers or make financial or property
arrangements
A family member makes decisions about the older
persons finance or property without consulting
him/her
The older person is frightened of being put in a
home or of being left alone if s/he does not agree
to what a relative wants
A family member assumes that s/he can take
money or assets as part of their future inheritance
without the older person’s agreement
The older person’s concerns about finances, assets
or property are not understood or believed by
family members or others
48.4
15
45.2
14
29.0
9
29.0
9
25.8
8
22.6
7
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(c) Associate Prof Dale Bagshaw, UniSA
45
%
No of
responses
16.1
5
The older person is unable to pay bills because a
16.1
family member has taken his/her money
A family member is divorced or separated and expects 9.7
or demands financial help beyond what the older
person can afford
A family member is mentally ill and therefore
6.5
financially dependent on the older person
A family member has a gambling problem
6.5
No-one in the family asks what the older person
6.5
wants or needs or his/her answers are not respected
5
A family member is addicted to drugs or alcohol and is
therefore financially dependent on the older person
1
Reason for concern
A family member controls the finances or property of
the older person and does not give the older person
access to things that they need or want
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(c) Associate Prof Dale Bagshaw, UniSA
3.2
3
2
2
2
46
Case examples from older women:




Daughter refusing to visit or communicate until her
mother gives her money or buys her significant assets the older person complies out of loneliness and feeling
to blame for the daughter's life-outcomes (daughter is
single, unhappy and alcoholic)
Since her husband’s death, her son has become more
aggressive and demanding and her daughter requires a
lot of money to send her child to a private school
Former partner took all her superannuation and then
abandoned her. She now lives on the age pension in
government housing with no extra income and major
health problems
Gave family member a loan and is now unable to
retrieve the funds
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Examples of family members’ concerns:





Relatives challenging the older person’s wishes regarding
who gets what.
The older person’s relatives and carers taking advantage
of her age, memory and financial position.
Daughters finding it difficult to convince the relevant
government departments that their brother is financially
abusing their mother – he even controls when they can
visit her and for how long.
Dementia making their older relative an easy target for
financial abuse from other family members.
Sister inappropriately withdrawing money from her
mother’s bank account
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48
Examples of family members’ concerns




Older person feeling obligated to assist
children/grandchildren financially, to her
detriment
Relatives bringing things that they know the
older person will want to buy
Substantial assets being managed by the older
person’s son with minimal consultation with the
other children
The older person pressured to purchase a
property in her son’s name. He does not pay
anything on the principal.
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49
Examples of family members’ concerns





Daughter and granddaughter taking money from the
older person without asking.
Siblings borrowing money from their father based on the
prospect of assumed inheritance with ‘gifts’ being made
to purchase new motor vehicles.
Relative an addicted gambler who is always asking the
older person for monetary support.
Brother taking advantage of his mother’s memory loss
and poor eyesight – getting her to sign cheques for him.
Money has been withdrawn from mother’s bank account
that her mother cannot account for.
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Barriers to older people reporting abuse.






diminished cognitive capacity
mental or physical disability
poor or restricted mobility
lack of awareness of what constitutes
abuse
lack of knowledge of their rights or
resources
social isolation or fear of alienation
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Barriers to older people reporting abuse







the need to preserve a family relationship
dependency on others in the family
the stigma and shame associated with abuse
literacy and language barriers
religious, generational and cultural barriers
fear of reprisal from the perpetrator and
a perceived or actual lack of options or access to
services.
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52
Barriers to reporting for older
Indigenous Australians


In Indigenous communities another layer
of complexity relates to the negative,
historical experiences of interventions
which led to separation and loss for many
people.
Older Indigenous people mostly want to
stay in their families and communities and
fear removal if they say anything about
the abuse.
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53
Barriers to reporting for victims from
Culturally and Linguistically Diverse
backgrounds

Lack of knowledge of the law and
services, reliance on family members and
their communities for support, as well as
communication and language difficulties,
can result in older CaLD victims tolerating
abuse
(Bagshaw, Wendt & Zannettino 2007; Bonar & Roberts
2006).
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54
Need for a common understanding of what
constitutes abuse of an older person

Social and cultural (rural, ethnic,
professional etc) constructions of ageing,
gender and of what constitutes ‘abuse’ are
definitional factors which influence how
the community, older people and service
providers understand and respond to what
is happening in abusive relationships.
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55
Explanations for abuse

Ramsey-Klawsnick (2000) points out that
there are a variety of theoretical
explanations for abuse of older people by
their family members which give rise to
various descriptions of and responses to
the abuser.
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56
Complex nature of abuse

Domestic violence research has shown
that all forms of abuse are often
interconnected and are part of a complex,
shifting kaleidoscope or mosaic of abuse,
often with the misuse or abuse of power
and control at the centre (Bagshaw 2003).
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Models of prevention
Nerenberg (2008, p.35-74) explores the
strengths and limitations of seven models of
prevention which I do not have time to
address today (see our Stakeholder Paper):







Adult Protection Services
Domestic Violence Prevention
Public Health approaches
Victim Advocacy
Restorative Justice
Family Caregiver Support &
Family Preservation
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Approaches to prevention

Abuse of older people is a public issue
requiring a community response and in
serious cases a criminal justice response.
In the United States, growing numbers of
cases involving the abuse of older people
are given increased penalties and or
prosecuted due to new techniques,
procedures and statutory innovations and
to a wide range of professionals receiving
training in abuse detection and response.
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Approaches to prevention of abuse

However, abuse of older people is largely
undetected by service providers’ as it is
invisible and, therefore, service providers
(e.g. doctors, carers, household help,
police, clergy) need education and
resources to assist them to identify abuse,
establish or adhere to appropriate
protocols, screen for abuse, respond
effectively, and make appropriate
referrals.
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Approaches to prevention


Raising awareness of the problem is the
first step towards reducing it - public
education will help combat ageist beliefs.
Specific education for legal, health care
and social service providers is important to
reduce the risk associated with ageism
and other societal beliefs that contribute
to abuse of older people
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Approaches to prevention


There is a need for family support and
other informal forms of social support for
older people to maintain their
independence and quality of life.
Participatory models hold the most
potential to address the ageist context in
which abuse occurs, allowing older people
to own responses instead of relying on
professional expertise.
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Interagency collaboration


We stress the importance of interagency
collaboration as the abuse of older people
is a ‘legal, medical, and mental health
issue as well as a social phenomenon’.
The Alliance for the Prevention of Abuse
(APEA) is one example of a collaboration
between South Australian agencies.
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Second stage: Developing, piloting & evaluating
mediation as a potential preventative approach


In the final phase of our research we developed
and trialled a model of older-person-centred
family mediation with our Linkage partners to
evaluate the short and long-term effectiveness
of the mediation from the perspective of the
mediators and the participants.
Relationships Australia (Adelaide and Berri
offices), the SA Office of the Public Advocate
and Mark Braes (Mt Gambier) offered a free
service to older people and their families for this
trial.
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The mediators involved in the
trial were highly experienced



Elly Nitschke – Office of the Public
Advocate
Virginia Leeuwenburg, Kate Brett and Prue
Sinoch – Relationships Australia in the City
and Berri
Mark Braes –Braes Mediation Solutions,
Millicent.
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Stage 2: Aims of the mediation trial


To design, pilot & evaluate a specialised olderperson-centred model of family mediation which
focuses on the best interests & safety of older
family members, directly or indirectly includes
their voices in decision-making & builds resilient
& protective family relationships.
To actively engage industry partners in the
research process to enhance their capacity to
respond to older persons who are at risk of
financial abuse from family members.
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Family mediation can be
beneficial …



when an older person wishes to involve
family members in decisions or plans
about their finances and assets, and/or
when family members believe that an
older person is vulnerable to, or is
experiencing, financial exploitation or
abuse from a family member, and/or
where family conflict involves an older
person’s finances or assets.
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National survey findings
Dominant survey responses from OP and
relatives to a question about what people
did in these situations that was helpful
 Assisted with communication and planning
(n=24 of 44)
 Gave legal advice (n=11) and
 Human services agencies provided
information about Powers of Attorney etc.
(n=9).
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National survey findings

Older people and their families were
asked to identify the potential
advantages and disadvantages of
organising family mediation early in
the ageing process to discuss an
older person’s concerns about the
management of their finances,
property or other assets
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Potential advantages of family mediation?

There were 61 responses which can be
grouped under the four main themes:




8/04/2015
enhancing the rights and wishes of older
people
opening and facilitating communication
between family members and between family
members and older people
enhancing the accountability and
responsibility of family members and
reducing family conflict.
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Potential disadvantages of family mediation?
Of 57 respondents, 12 said there were no
disadvantages. However, three themes
emerged from the other responses:



it may be hard to get families to commit to the
process or to see the value in prevention
family members could misuse the financial
information provided
the older person may feel uncomfortable
discussing financial matters with family
members.
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Potential clients?



Any older person and family members who wish
to have difficult conversations and/or make plans
to protect the older person’s finances and assets.
We hypothesise that family mediation may be more
useful where financial abuse has not yet occurred or
where financial exploitation by a family member has
been unintentional, benign, passive or reckless .
However, even where there has been intentional, wilful,
deliberate or malicious financial exploitation or abuse, or
where there has been a family history of abuse, in some
cases plans can be put in place by the older person
and/or non-abusive family members to safeguard the
older person and his/her assets in the future
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Ethical considerations





The research was approved by UniSA’s Human
Research Ethics Committee.
Involvement in mediation is voluntary and
confidential
Support persons and advocates can be included.
Potential participants are first seen separately
and a screening tool is used to identify violence
or abuse
The focus is on ensuring that the voices of older
people are heard and their safety, rights and
best interests are upheld.
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In conclusion…



No two cases of abuse of older people are
alike and a variety of assessment tools
and preventative approaches are needed
to meet the needs of each situation
Safety and empowerment of the victim
should be given the highest priority
Need to develop responses that are
specific to each individual, family and
community (inc. Indigenous, CaLD) and to
rural areas
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It is also essential




to develop models of prevention that address
the ageist and gendered contexts in which
abuse occurs
to provide opportunities for older people to take
ownership of and be empowered by processes
of intervention
to develop interdisciplinary understanding and
collaboration and
to provide a coordinated, multiple service
system response to the victim, the perpetrator
and the social network surrounding the victim.
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Above all we need to respect
and value older people in our
families and communities
A climate needs to be created that is ‘user
friendly’ toward older people, with
messages framed in positive, respectful
language and an emphasis on celebrating
older people’s contributions and worth to
society.
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For more information about the project
Dale’s email address:
Dale.Bagshaw@unisa.edu.au
Dale’s University Homepage:
http://www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/staff/ho
mepage.asp?name=dale.bagshaw
Elder Abuse and Family Mediation Project website:
http://w3.unisa.edu.au/hawkeinstitute/r
esearch/elder-mediation/default.asp
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