The Turnbull government has used International Day of Older Persons to announce a suite of measures to better protect the rights of senior Australians.
The $15 million election commitment to address elder abuse includes a new peak body to oversee the development of an online "knowledge hub" to raise awareness and training materials to better support older Australians.
Attorney General George Brandis said elder abuse is a complex and often hidden problem in Australia.
"The abuse of older Australians can take many forms, including financial, physical, emotional, and sexual," Senator Brandis said in a statement on Sunday.
"For far too long, older Australians have had these actions diminish their ability to enjoy their lives with dignity and this has too often occurred in silence."
A seniors' advocacy group is also calling on the government to make greater use of its older Australians to help lift economic growth, reduce health care costs and improve social well-being.
COTA Australia chief executive Ian Yates believes ageism and age discrimination regularly prevent business, organisations and society benefiting from the skills and experience of older people.
"Only government can provide the leadership Australia needs to enable and expand the contributions of older people," Mr Yates said in a statement.
"Outdated stereotypes about ageing being a burden still underpin widespread discrimination in the workplace and in the broader community."
Labor recognises the valuable role older people play in the community, but is also aware their challenges are significant.
It says while Australians are living longer, there is a concerning trend that Australians may not be living well.
"The ability of our ageing population to participate, contribute and thrive in Australia is largely dependent on our health," opposition ageing spokeswomen Julie Collins and Helen Polley said in a statement.
"Access to high-quality care and support when and where older people need it is critical to making longer lives, also better lives."
By the 2050s more than one in every four Australians will be aged over 65, so a focus on an age-friendly Australia will only become more important, they say.
