World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is a day of visibility. It is a day when communities around the world say clearly that abuse and mistreatment of older people is unacceptable.
But it is also more than a day of awareness. It is a call to action.
At Council on the Ageing (COTA) Queensland, we believe ageing should be accompanied by respect, safety, independence and connection. Older people have the same human rights as everyone else, and every older Queenslander has the right to live free from fear, coercion and harm.
Abuse and mistreatment of older people can take many forms. It may involve money, property, care, medication, decision making, intimidation, neglect, isolation or control. It can happen quietly, behind closed doors, and often within a relationship of trust.
This is part of what makes it so complex and painful.
The person causing harm may be someone the older person knows, loves, depends on, or has relied upon for many years. For the older person, the situation is rarely simple. They may want the harm to stop, but not want the relationship to end. They may fear shame, blame, retaliation, family conflict, or being told they are no longer capable of making their own decisions.
That is why our response must be thoughtful. It must place the rights, choices, safety and dignity of older people at the centre.
Elder abuse is not simply a private family matter. It is a community issue, a justice issue, a health issue, a financial security issue and, above all, a human rights issue.
It is also deeply connected to ageism.
When older people are treated as less important, less capable, less credible, or less entitled to make decisions, the risk of harm increases. When we dismiss an older person’s concern as confusion, exaggeration or “family business”, we may miss an opportunity to help.
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day asks each of us to notice the attitudes that sit beneath harm.
Do we listen properly when an older person says something is not right? Do we assume family members always know best? Do we respect an older person’s right to make choices, even when those choices are different from what we would choose? Do we make it easy for older people to ask for help without embarrassment or fear?
Prevention starts long before a crisis.
Prevention starts long before a crisis.
Darren Young
It begins in the everyday conditions that help people stay safe and connected: strong relationships, accessible information, safer systems, good planning, and communities that genuinely value older people.
It also means creating space for early conversations about decision making, finances, housing, care and future wishes. These conversations are not always easy, but when they happen early, respectfully and with the right support, they can help protect people’s rights and choices.
Prevention also depends on systems working together, so older people and their families are not left to navigate complex services alone. Banks, health services, aged care providers, community organisations, police, legal services and government agencies all have a role to play.
This work must also reach every part of Queensland, including regional, rural and remote communities where access to information, services and support can be much harder.
The message for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is simple: stay connected with the older people in your life.
Notice when something changes. It might be that someone becomes withdrawn, fearful or anxious around a particular person. It might be a sudden change in finances, unpaid bills, lack of access to their own money, unexplained injuries, or a sense that someone else is always speaking for them.
We should not jump to conclusions, but we should not look away.
A respectful conversation can be a powerful place to start. Ask, “Are you okay?” Ask, “Is there anything you need?” Ask, “Would you like support to talk this through?”
And if you are an older person experiencing abuse, mistreatment, pressure or control, please know this: you are not to blame. You have rights. You deserve safety. Help is available. You do not have to manage it alone.
You are not to blame. You have rights. You deserve safety.
This year, in Queensland, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day also comes in the context of the Parliamentary Inquiry into Elder Abuse in Queensland and the Government’s response.
The Inquiry heard clearly that abuse and mistreatment of older people is complex, often hidden and too often under reported. It also confirmed what many older Queenslanders, families, advocates and services already know: awareness matters, but awareness alone is not enough.
Action is needed.
Action that prevents harm before it escalates. Action that makes support easier to find. Action that strengthens responses across legal, health, community, financial and care systems. And action that respects the voice, rights and choices of older people themselves.
As buildings and landmarks turn purple for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, let that colour mean something practical. Let it remind us to listen, to check in, to challenge ageism, and to act when something is not right.
On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2026, COTA Queensland stands with older Queenslanders.
We stand for dignity. We stand for safety. We stand for rights.
And we stand for a Queensland where growing older does not mean becoming invisible, powerless or unsafe.
Learn More About Elder Abuse
Understanding the signs of elder abuse is an important step in helping older Queenslanders stay safe, connected and supported.