Elder Abuse
Submission dated 13 September, 2022
Abuse of Older Australians Living in Manufactured Home Villages
“Elder abuse” is becoming a more widely recognised and publicised form of control by one or more human beings over another.
Manufactured Home Villages are an increasingly popular choice for thousands of older Australians and, sadly, elder abuse is not uncommon in these environments.
What is “elder abuse”? The World Health Organisation defines it as “a single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person.”
Elder abuse can take various forms including financial, physical, psychological, emotional, and sexual abuse or neglect, and can be deliberate or unintentional. No person should be subject to any form of abuse, let alone older people who may be in a vulnerable position, with little or no recourse to resist the abuse.
In its 2022 submission to the National Plan to Respond to the Abuse of Older Australians (2019-2023), MHOA cites the lack of protection for Victorian residents of Manufactured Home Villages under the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) (Part 4A). While individual Site Agreements may have clauses stating that homeowners have the right to “quiet enjoyment”, it is obvious that Victorian residents also require strong, legislated protection from threats and abuse by rental providers or any other residents.
MHOA offers recommendations to improve or re-write the legislation governing these villages and provides examples of elder abuse that no Victorian should ever need to experience.
