Elder Rights Australia

Older people, their families, and carers often call us when they:

• Are finding it difficult to access aged care services.
• Have a concern about their aged care services.
• Don’t feel like their aged care services are meeting their needs.
• Want to make a complaint.

ERA’s team of professional advocates is here to ensure your rights are upheld and your voice is heard whether you are living independently at home or in residential care.

Our services are free, confidential, and independent of the government and aged care providers. For information or support, call our Aged Care Advocacy Line on 1800 700 600

Over two inspiring days, ERA staff came together at our annual conference to strengthen team connections and enhance performance, supporting improved advocacy and volunteer program outcomes.
The conference also provided an opportunity to reflect on how we can continue to improve service delivery, with a strong focus on supporting our Culturally and Linguistically Diverse and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
We were especially honoured to recognise National Reconciliation Week, including a powerful personal story shared by our Aboriginal advocate Kirby, which reinforced the importance of listening, learning, and taking meaningful action.
Insights from guest speakers at the Centre for Cultural Diversity and Ageing and the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation Inc further strengthened our shared commitment to achieving better outcomes for the communities we serve.

Monday 15 June marks World Elder Abuse Awareness Day — an important opportunity for communities to come together to raise awareness of the abuse of older people.

At Elder Rights Australia, we stand against the abuse, mistreatment, and neglect of older people, and remain committed to preventing and responding to all forms of elder abuse.

Throughout June, ERA will be participating in WEAAD events across Victoria — including community information sessions, expos, forums, morning teas, and more.
View upcoming events on the Elder Rights Australia website https://elderrights.org.au/get-involved/events/

Elder abuse is everybody’s business
It’s something we must continue talking about — and take action against
Together, we can help stop elder abuse
Start the conversation

If you or someone you know is experiencing elder abuse, contact the Aged Care Advocacy Line for a confidential conversation with an ERA advocate:
📞 1800 700 600

This World Refugee Week (14-20 June), we shine a light on the experiences of older people from refugee backgrounds 🌏
Their journeys are shaped by resilience—but also by challenges like isolation, language barriers, and navigating complex systems later in life.
Through advocacy, volunteer support and inclusion, we can help ensure their voices are heard, their rights are protected, and their contributions are recognised.
Let’s continue to work together to create communities where older refugees feel connected, respected, and supported ❤️
To learn more about Refugee Week, visit: https://www.refugeeweek.org.au/about-refugee-week/

MEDIA RELEASE
The ‘Chums’ Approach to Respect in Aged Care

A national program is raising awareness of the inequalities and promoting respect for older women in residential aged care – has identified a powerful approach to respect.

The “Chums” approach refers to reciprocity of respect between older people and multicultural workers. This novel approach is welcome in residential aged care where the need to promote respect for older people was clarified by Aged Care Royal Commission.

Alongside the needs of older people, there is also a need to promote respect for the diverse aged care workforce, given data showing 35% of direct care workers in residential aged care are culturally and/or linguistically diverse (CALD)[1] and 66% of CALD workers in aged care survey had experienced or witnessed racism or discrimination in their workplace.

The approach was described by 86 year old Carol Ryan who lives in Moyola Aged Care, a 43 bed aged care home in the small town of Tatura in NorthWest Victoria.

Carol and other older women in the home were participating in The Biscuit Tin project, to document their contributions and experiences of respect, to help promote equality and respect for older women. When asked about what respect meant Carol said

The people who live here and the staff are chums. The staff help us and we help them. We need to be there for the staff to lean on, because so many of them are new to Australia. They are from Nepal and India, France and New Zealand. We are helping them to learn English and to adjust as immigrants. Sometimes they ask us questions about life outside of here that they don’t understand. We are happy to answer those questions and help them to adjust. Everyone has a story to tell and if you ask, they will tell you.

Jacqueline Griffiths Care Services Manager Moyola Aged Care said

Carols description of Chums is a particularly heart-warming example of the contributions older women make to building community. Carol and other older women who participated in the workshop, recognise that some of our workers are adjusting to life as a migrant and, as Carol articulated “we need to be there for them to lean on”. Carol describes the importance of listening to staff – and how in return, she feels staff listen to her. This mutual exchange of listening and respect is important to us all.

Debra Nicholl, CEO of Elder Rights Australia said

Carol’s perspectives on respect illustrates how much we can learn from older people in residential aged care – when we listen. She has encapsulated so much of what matters in respect for others – understanding each other stories and responding in ways that are compassionate and valuing. That’s what respect is. The reciprocity here is so important. I hope other aged care services learn from this approach.

The Biscuit Tin program, an initiative of Celebrate Ageing Ltd, developed to combat the gendered ageism, inequalities and disrespect experienced by many older women. The symbolism of the biscuit tin is a reminder of the many and varied contributions of older women – including their maternal and nurturing roles, which are often devalued.

In 2026, The Biscuit Tin program was expanded with the support of Elder Rights Australia, to include older women living in residential aged care.

Campaign webpage: celebrateageing.com/thebiscuittin

Contacts
Debra Nicholl, CEO Elder Rights Advocacy: 0418 372 243 or [email protected]
Jacqueline Griffiths
Rochelle Beatty, Biscuit Tin Program Coordinator [email protected]

https://elderrights.org.au/media-releases/the-chums-approach-to-respect-in-aged-care/

The ‘Chums’ Approach to Respect in Aged Care - Elder Rights Australia   A national program is raising awareness of the inequalities and promoting respect for older women in residential aged care – has identified a powerful approach to respect. The “Chums” approach refers to reciprocity of respect between older people and multicultural workers. This novel approa...

MEDIA RELEASE
Respect for Older Women
An innovation in Residential Aged Care

A national program raising awareness of the inequalities and promoting respect for older women has been picked up in residential aged care.

In an Australian first, BaptistCare in Warrigal was one of two providers joining a pilot with older women living in its Abbey Gardens aged care home. Nine older women participated in a workshop that explored the contributions of older women, what respect means to them and the meaningful ways respect is shown. The older women’s stories are now being shared in a Recipes for Respect resource to help promote respect for older women living in residential aged care.

The project is part of The Biscuit Tin program, an initiative of Celebrate Ageing Ltd, developed to combat the gendered ageism, inequalities and disrespect experienced by many older women. The symbolism of the biscuit tin is a reminder of the many and varied contributions of older women – including their maternal and nurturing roles, which are often devalued.

Lauren Robinson, Residential Care Services Manager of BaptistCare Abbey Gardens said

The Biscuit Tin project provided a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the valuable and often invisible contributions older women make to our rural community. The project also gave us an innovative opportunity to explore what respect means to the older women living in our home. Their stories provide us with valuable insights on the simple everyday actions like listening – that tell older women we respect them. These learnings will help to guide us as we continue to improve our services.

The project was a partnership with Elder Rights Australia, the state based peak advocacy service for older people, CEO Debra Nicholl said

We know respect matters to older women living in aged care and are very aware that The Standards and Guidelines for Aged Care call for older people to be treated with dignity and respect. The Older Women’s Recipes for Respect, Warragul resource celebrates the contributions of older women in a rural community, often invisible but absolutely critical. It also explores the different ways respect is experienced and valued, including maintaining connections with family and being heard and supported by aged care service providers. Being valued and respected is not a ‘nice to have’ – it is critical to our health, wellbeing and equality. Our work at Elder Rights Australia, the state based peak advocacy service for older people, clearly tells us that older women are not equal, and that the inequalities are growing.

I know we need a toolkit of a thousand resources to make the culture shifts needed to promote equality and respect for older women in Australia. The Biscuit Tin is one powerful resource in that kit, and we were proud to be part of it.



Campaign webpage: celebrateageing.com/thebiscuittin

Contacts

Debra Nicholl, CEO Elder Rights Advocacy: 0418 372 243 or [email protected]
Lauren Robinson
Rochelle Beatty, Biscuit Tin Program Coordinator [email protected]

https://elderrights.org.au/media-releases/respect-for-older-women-an-innovation-in-residential-aged-care/

Respect for Older Women: An innovation in Residential Aged Care - Elder Rights Australia   A national program raising awareness of the inequalities and promoting respect for older women has been picked up in residential aged care. In an Australian first, BaptistCare in Warrigal was one of two providers joining a pilot with older women living in its Abbey Gardens aged care home. Nine ol...

On June 2, Elder Rights Australia, in partnership with Celebrate Ageing g, launched The Biscuit Tin Project 2026, an initiative funded by the Victorian Women’s Trust to raise awareness of older women’s contributions and the need for respect. The World Elder Abuse Awareness Day event, co-hosted by Elder Rights Australia and Celebrate Ageing brought together older women, service providers, researchers, advocates and policymakers to help shape a Blueprint on Respect for Older Women.
We listened to inspiring stories and learned about the impacts of The Biscuit Tin Project as well as the Strong Grey Women and Workplaces for Older Women projects.
It was a privilege to listen to the lived experiences shared.
Attendees also joined in Cardigan Pride, and we celebrated the winners of the inaugural Reasonable Expectations Art Competition.
Thank you to the Victorian Women's Trust and the incredible teams at Elder Rights Australia and Celebrate Ageing for making it all possible!
Visit https://www.celebrateageing.com/ to read more on these projects.

Want to know where you can find ERA advocates out in the community in June?

Go to our website Events - Elder Rights Australia to see the events we are attending and information sessions we are delivering throughout June to coincide with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD)

ERA offers free, informative sessions delivered by our experienced advocacy team.

These sessions are designed to inform and empower older people, their families, and those who support them including Aged Care Staff.
We welcome bookings from aged care providers, retirement villages, seniors’ groups, community organisations, and health professionals. Whether you prefer an in-person session at your location or online delivery, we can tailor the format to suit your needs.

To book a session, simply click on the following link Book an education session - https://elderrights.org.au/get-involved/events/

This week marks National Reconciliation Week, held from 27 May to 3 June. These dates recognise two important milestones in Australia’s reconciliation journey, the 1967 Referendum and the historic Mabo decision.
National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to reflect, learn and acknowledge our shared histories, cultures and achievements. It is also a reminder that reconciliation is something we all have a role in through listening, learning, respect and action.
The 2026 theme, “All In”, is a powerful reminder that reconciliation requires commitment every single day, not just during one week of the year. It calls on all Australians to stand together, walk together and continue creating a future built on truth, understanding and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.


Artwork by artist Otis Hope Carey