World Elder Abuse Awareness Day: creating safer environments for older people

Every older person has the right to feel safe, respected, protected and heard.

The United Nations has named 15 June as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. It reminds us of the importance of safeguarding older people from abuse, neglect and exploitation, particularly in environments where they rely on others for care, support and services.

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety highlighted the devastating impact that systemic failures can have on older people. It exposed instances where people experienced neglect, abuse, poor-quality care and, in some cases, a failure to have their voices heard.

These findings reinforced an important lesson: safeguarding cannot be assumed.

While policies and procedures are important, they are not enough on their own. Creating safer environments requires strong leadership, effective governance, organisational accountability and a culture that prioritises dignity, respect and safety.

For organisations providing services to older people, safeguarding is not simply about responding when something goes wrong. It‘s about putting systems in place that minimise the risk of harm, support people to speak up, and ensure concerns are identified and addressed early.

At QIP, this understanding helped shape the development of the QIP Standards for Safeguarding Children and Adults at Risk. The Standards support organisations to establish verifiable systems that create and sustain safer environments, strengthen accountability and support continuous improvement.

Safeguarding is not a one-time activity. It requires ongoing vigilance, independent assurance and a commitment to continuously strengthening culture, systems and practice.

On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, we acknowledge the responsibility we all share in protecting older people from abuse, neglect and exploitation.

Because every older person deserves to live with safety, dignity and respect, and every organisation has a role to play in making that a reality.

To learn more about the QIP Safeguarding Standards and how they may apply to your organisation, visit our Safeguarding Standards webpage.