Campaign against elder abuse

IT may seem disgusting, but all over Queensland people are abusing elderly people.

But a recently launched poster campaign is aiming to put a stop to it.

Whether it's stealing money from an older person, threatening them, or not getting them proper medical care, 750 cases of abuse have been reported in the past year.

But most cases go unreported and Community Services Minister, Karen Struthers, said she hoped the new poster campaign would raise public awareness about the issue.

The four different posters show four different elderly people in abusive situations.

“These are really humiliating and harmful forms of abuse,” Ms Struthers said.

$75,000 was spent on the campaign, which will be rolled out at public places such as libraries, schools, hospitals and community centres in the coming weeks.

Ms Struthers said she wanted to remove the stigma around elder abuse.

“We want people to have conversations about it and deliver the message that elder abuse, like any other form of violence in our society, will not be tolerated,” she said.

“Most importantly we want people to take action. We all need to act as one against domestic and family violence and we all need to act as one against elder abuse.”

If you or someone you know is being abused, you can call the elder abuse assistance hotline on 1300 651 192.