What work, if any, is the Ministry of Social Development currently undertaking under family violence and sexual violence prevention work programmes to address elder abuse, including evidence gathered through Te Aorerekura – National Strategy to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence, MSD’s own work, engagement with other Ministries, and key literature and evidence since 27 November 2023?

Answer

I am advised by the Ministry of Social Development (the Minstry) that a key initiative to understand and address elder abuse was the Prevention of Abuse of Older People (AOP) work programme. This was a time-limited initiative that focused on producing research products to better understand, prevent, and respond to the abuse of older people, including a national prevalence study of AOP and qualitative research to better understand different cultural perspectives on AOP.   The Ministry has also commissioned an evaluation of Ministry-funded Elder Abuse Response Services (EARS). The evaluation, which is underway, aims to gain greater insight into service delivery, what is working well, and what improvements could strengthen services that older people access.