Elder abuse — physical, psychological, financial, sexual, and neglect of older adults — is a hidden and significant problem in New Zealand. Older adults are disproportionately vulnerable to financial scams, carer stress, and family abuse. Grants fund prevention, response, and older adult safety. This guide covers the key funding sources.
Age Concern NZ is the primary elder abuse response organisation:
- Elder Abuse Response Service (EARS): Direct elder abuse response
- Education: Community awareness of elder abuse
- Advocacy: Policy for older adult protection
- Social support: Reducing isolation that increases elder abuse vulnerability
Health system elder abuse:
- Community health: Older adult health workers identifying elder abuse
- Mental health: Carer stress as driver of elder abuse
- Aged residential care: Abuse prevention in care settings
- DHB social work: Social work response to elder abuse in health settings
MSD funds older adult services:
- Social services: Older adult community services
- Strengthening Families: Interagency response including elder abuse
NZ Police responds to elder abuse:
- Elder abuse response: Police investigation of abuse
- Financial crime: Older adult financial fraud
- Community policing: Elder abuse awareness
Gaming trusts fund elder abuse prevention:
- Four Winds Foundation: Older adult community safety
- Grassroots Trust: Community social services for older adults
- Pub Charity: Older adult community services
- Lion Foundation: Community aged services
Gaming trust elder abuse applications:
- Elder abuse response worker
- Community education and awareness
- Financial abuse prevention
- Social connection reducing isolation
- Carer support reducing stress
Financial abuse is the most common:
- Banking sector: Banks identifying financial abuse of older customers
- PowerofAttorney misuse: EPOA misuse a major issue
- Scams: Older adults targeted by phone and internet scams
- Elder Law: Legal remedies for financial abuse
Caregiver stress driving abuse:
- Carer respite: Reducing carer burnout
- Dementia carers: Particular stress risk
- Social isolation: Carers without support more at risk of becoming abusive
Abuse in aged care facilities:
- Health and Disability Commissioner: Complaints about care facilities
- Aged Care Commissioner: Oversight of residential aged care
- Monitoring: Whaikaha and HDC monitoring of facilities
Strong applications demonstrate:
- Older adults protected: Cases identified, investigated, and resolved
- Prevention: Community awareness reducing elder abuse incidence
- Financial abuse: Older adults protected from financial exploitation
- Carer support: Reducing carer stress preventing abuse
- Social connection: Reducing isolation that increases vulnerability
- Interagency: Coordinated response with Police, health, and social services
- Equity: Māori and Pacific older adults — culturally appropriate response
- Residential care: Safety in aged care facilities
Tahua's grants management platform helps elder abuse organisations manage grant applications across Age Concern NZ, Te Whatu Ora, gaming trusts, and community foundations, tracking elder abuse response, prevention, and older adult safety outcomes.