The multiple intersections of mental health and elder abuse are complex, including both the mental health of the older person and the mental health of those who perpetrate elder abuse.

This policy discussion paper considers elder abuse, mental health and wellbeing in the context of the Victorian Government decision to undergo system-wide reform by enacting all recommendations made by the Royal Commission into the Victorian Mental Health System.

Older people are a minority cohort in both the family violence and the mental health sectors, which means their needs can sometimes go unacknowledged and unmet. As a statewide service that responds to, and aims to prevent, elder abuse, Seniors Rights Victoria has extensive experience in working with clients who have engaged with the mental health system as consumers and carers.

Drawing on this knowledge, this discussion paper recommends ways the Victorian Government can ensure the needs of older people (including those who have experienced elder abuse) are met by the reform agenda.