May 20th, 2025Shining a light on elder abuse

The Macedon Ranges Shire Council is hosting a special event for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on Sunday June 15.

The council says it’ll be bringing the community together to raise awareness about the challenges faced by older people.  

In collaboration with the local Kindness to Elders initiative, the Kyneton Mechanics Institute will play host to the annual event that will commence at 12pm with a flag-raising ceremony, followed by a  sausage sizzle run by local scout groups; food and coffee vans; and feature a range of relevant information about support services for seniors including financial help and fraud prevention.  

At 2pm, the movie Thelma will be shown, telling the story of 93-year-old Thelma Post who sets off  across Los Angeles to retrieve $10,000 she lost in a phone scam – a reminder of the financial risks faced by older people.

Mayor Dom Bonanno said the event is an important chance for the community to come together and  support our growing older population.  

“World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is all about protecting the rights, dignity, and independence of our elderly,” he said.  

“It’s not a day just for seniors though – it’s for everyone. By having important conversations in a relaxed and friendly setting, we can raise awareness and help prevent elder abuse before it happens.”  

Elder abuse can take many forms, including financial, emotional, physical, sexual, and social. It can happen once or happen many times, and it is often carried out by someone the older person knows and trusts, like a family member or friend.  

Nearly 15% of Australians aged 65 years and over, have experienced elder abuse in some form, over the past year and this number is expected to rise as our population ages.

The council is encouraging everyone to bring along their parents, grandparents and loved ones to the event  to show their support for our older members of the community.