National Plan to End the Abuse and Mistreatment of Older People 2026-2036

The Easy Read is also available as an accessible HTML.

The abuse and mistreatment of older people (sometimes referred to as ‘elder abuse’) is a complex health, justice, social and economic issue. It can have devasting consequences for the physical, mental, financial, social and emotional wellbeing of older people, their families and communities.

All governments in Australia agree that we must do more to prevent and respond to the abuse and mistreatment of older people. This National Plan builds on the important foundations and progress made under the first National Plan to Respond to the Abuse of Older Australians (Elder Abuse) 2019–2023.

The second National Plan’s vision is for all older people to:

• be safe, valued, heard and respected
• have their rights protected and promoted
• live free from abuse and mistreatment.

The aspirational vision is intended to inspire government, sector, business and broader community efforts to work towards lasting reform, and to provide a pathway for how success should look, feel and be measured.

The structure of the National Plan outlines 6 Key Priorities that underpin the National Plan as a whole, along with 4 Focus Areas which will guide work over the life of the plan. The Priority Actions in each Focus Area will inform the more detailed activities contained in the two 5-year Action Plans.

Translated versions of the National Plan and Executive Summary in Greek, Vietnamese, Arabic, Italian and Chinese (Simplified) will be available shortly, once finalised.