When we hear "elder abuse", we might think first about physical abuse, but it can take many forms.
The most common is financial abuse.
It can be stealing money from an older person, forcing them to change their will or forging their signature on a bank document.
There's also psychological, emotional and sexual abuse.
Basically, elder abuse happens when somebody causes harm or distress to an older person whom they are supposed to have a relationship of trust with.
Very often, isolation makes older people more vulnerable.
Alexander Abramoff, an Aged Care Manager says that being an older migrant can increase the chances of social isolation.
This vulnerability can make older people targets of abuse by strangers and often their own family.
Victoria's Elder Abuse Prevention Association says in 90 per cent of cases, the abuser is a family member.
Greg Mahney, the CEO of Advocare, a Western Australian organisation supporting older people, says the abusers are mostly adult children.
Aged Care Manager Alexander Abramoff says language abilities limit the network of older migrants and also limits their understanding of financial or legal decisions.
Reporting abuse is also harder if the victim doesn't speak much English.
Advocare's Greg Mahney explains that's why organisations like his use independent translators.
"A real issue that we sometime encounter when we're dealing with a migrant who's got an elder abuse problem is that we have to talk to them to find out the information. And quite often it's a relative or someone very close to the family who wants to be the translator. The problem with that is that we can't be one hundred per cent sure that what is being translated to us is exactly the right information. Or perhaps the person who is doing the translation is not being a hundred per cent accurate in the translation so it's always a bit of a risk. We always try to get an independent translator when we're talking to someone who can't speak English."
So there are resources in English, but also in several other languages, to help seniors.
Each state has an organisation supporting victims of elder abuse.
And if you can't call the helpline, there are other people whom you can confide in like your GP, a religious leader or a friend you trust.
If you think that you or somebody you know is victim of elder abuse, call your state's elder abuse helpline to get support.
You can find their phone numbers on the website - www.myagedcare.gov.au
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