It’s not a topic anyone particularly wants to read about on a weekend, but a landmark new national study deserves genuine attention, because it reveals something many of us may not have wanted to fully confront: elder abuse in regional, rural and remote Australia is overwhelmingly committed not by strangers, but by the very people meant to care for older Australians most – their own adult children and partners.

What the research found

The study, backed by Monash University and funded by the Attorney-General’s Department, is the first of its kind to specifically examine the unique challenges facing older adults experiencing abuse outside Australia’s major cities. It draws on focus groups and interviews with both professionals working in the sector and older adults with lived experience of abuse.

Financial abuse emerged as the most commonly observed form of harm, a finding the researchers say has likely been worsened by the compounding financial pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, and natural disasters, all of which hit regional communities particularly hard. Beyond financial motivations, the study found abuse was often driven by a desire for power and control, frequently rooted in longstanding family conflict, or in situations where an adult child had become financially or practically dependent on the older person, sometimes compounded by that child’s own mental health struggles or substance use.

Perhaps most confronting is the finding that many older women affected had experienced domestic and family violence across their entire lives, patterns that began with an intimate partner in earlier decades and later extended into abuse by their own adult children or grandchildren.

Why regional life makes this so much harder to address

Associate Professor Bridget Harris, Deputy Head of School (Research) and Lead Researcher with the Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Hub, said that while living outside a major city doesn’t inherently make someone more likely to experience abuse, it can genuinely deepen vulnerability and make finding support considerably harder.

Geographic isolation was identified as a major barrier, often worsened by transport that is sparse, expensive, or simply doesn’t exist in some areas. Just as significant, though, is the social dimension: more traditional attitudes around gender and family roles can lead to abuse being quietly dismissed as a private family matter, while the simple lack of privacy in a small town creates a genuine, well-founded fear of gossip and stigma that keeps people from ever asking for help.

What needs to change

The report’s recommendations centre on locally tailored solutions delivered through community organisations older Australians already know and trust, rather than expecting people in regional areas to navigate unfamiliar, centralised services. A key recommendation is embedding legal and elder abuse specialists directly within healthcare settings, so support is available in a place older Australians are already comfortable accessing, rather than requiring a separate, potentially stigmatising referral elsewhere.

Interestingly, while the researchers acknowledge growing technology-facilitated abuse as a genuine concern, they also see real opportunity in using technology deliberately to help close existing service gaps for people who simply can’t easily reach in-person support.

Dr Naomi Pfitzner, co-author of the report and Director of the Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Hub, said addressing this issue properly requires integrated models that support the whole family, so older Australians feel genuinely safe, respected and empowered, including, where appropriate, in maintaining a relationship with the family member who has caused harm. She said tackling ageism at a systemic level, alongside genuine local support networks, is central to ensuring older Australians feel safe and valued in their own communities.

Where to get help

If this story raises anything for you, or for someone you care about, please know that support is available. The National Elder Abuse Phone Line can be reached on 1800 353 374, and 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) provides confidential support for anyone experiencing family or domestic violence, including older Australians. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, please call 000.

This article discusses family violence and elder abuse and may be distressing for some readers.