How culturally and linguistically diverse communities are tackling elder abuse

In announcing the project, WA Seniors and Ageing Minister Don Punch said elder abuse affects one in six older Western Australians and is more prevalent among older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

The "Perceptions of Elder Abuse in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities" initiative will develop a package of culturally appropriate elder abuse resources and training materials to boost awareness of the issue and provide support.

It is being run by Umbrella Multicultural Community Care Inc. in partnership with Elder Rights WA, a division of Legal Aid WA, and is funded by the Department of Communities.

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Umbrella project co-ordinator Kristen Soon said the initiative is exploring community perceptions and levels of awareness of elder rights and elder abuse.

Two information sessions have already been held attended by 17 community champions from different groups in the Perth area.

"We decided to call them champions because they organise and play a key role in each of their different communities," Kristen said.

"The community champions are from diverse backgrounds including Indian, Japanese, Tamil, Iranian, Singaporean, Malaysian, Chinese, Burmese, Italian, Hungarian, Hazara and Eritrean communities.

"We have had positive feedback from the sessions."

Umbrella and Elder Rights WA will be running community workshops until September, with the project due for completion by November.

Umbrella project manager Donna Gibson said the focus of the workshops was to gather input and facilitate discussion to identify what the cultural-linguistic barriers are to dealing with this sensitive issue.

"In the future, we can then present information and provide support in culturally appropriate ways that respect the sensitivities around this topic," she said.