Elder Abuse Prevention Fund
The Elder Abuse Prevention Fund provides funding to projects that focus on preventing the abuse of older people in New Zealand. The fund is administered by the Office for Seniors, with funding provided by the Ministry of Social Development and Te Puna Aonui.
In 2022, 11 organisations shared $250,000 for elder abuse prevention initiatives. Those projects are now close to completion. We are working with the Ministry of Social Development to gather learning and insights from the projects. This will help build the evidence base of what works to prevent elder abuse, ensuring that government funding is used to effectively address the violence prevention needs in our communities. You can read more about the work that the Ministry of Social Development is doing to prevent elder abuse here
In 2023, seven organisations received a funding extension, sharing an additional $155,000. The successful projects needed to show the impact they achieved in the initial funding period and describe what further outcomes they would work towards.
The successful projects are:
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Family Focus |
Establishing a regional elder abuse network in the Bay of Plenty, to identify professional development opportunities, collaborate, share learning and provide feedback to government. |
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Hohou te Rongo Kahukura |
Work with Age Concern Auckland to ensure its services are takatāpui and rainbow safe, by reviewing policies and practices and providing training and mentoring. |
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Manchester House |
Providing support and navigation for older people and their families in Fielding through a Senior Care Advocate. |
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Porirua Kāpiti Community Law |
Providing free enduring powers of attorney for Pacific communities in Porirua. |
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Te Ahi Kaa |
Providing kaumātua peer support for those experiencing elder abuse. The peer support group is supported by a registered social worker and will receive training and supervision. |
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Wesley Community Action |
Providing a community advocate for older people living in vulnerable situations. The community advocate does home visits, organises shopping and online payments and provides additional support that meets the individual’s needs. |
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University of Otago |
Research into the physical and psychosocial triggers for elder abuse in the interRAI Home Care Assessment, to understand whether there are indicators of elder abuse that are more difficult to detect. |