An estimated 50 sexual assaults take place in residential aged care in Australia every week.
Older people also experience sexual assault in their own homes. The trauma they experience is compounded by the lack of education for service providers.
With limited knowledge about sexual assault, service providers do not fully understand the power they have to prevent sexual assault.
#ReadyToListen
#ReadyToListen was launched in 2021 to improve responses to and prevent sexual assault in residential aged care.
At the heart of the #ReadyToListen project is a MAP (myths, facts and practical strategies). It outlines 10 ways in which residential aged care service providers can improve their responses to – and prevent – sexual assault.
Show Your Support To End the Sexual Assaults in Aged Care!
Download and print the sign, add your name, take a photo, upload on your social media and add the hashtag, #ReadyToListen, so we can find you!
The following resources include the overall MAP guidelines and audit as well as other educational resources:
MAP Guidelines – overview of the 10 elements
MAP Audit tool – tool for self-audit against the elements
Dementia MAP – application of the MAP to the needs of people with dementia
Cultural lens MAP – considering diverse cultural perspectives on the MAP
Online workshops
Project report
…of the almost one in six (14.8 per cent) older people who reported experiencing abuse in last year’s National Elder Abuse Prevalence Study, only one-third had sought help.
OPAN CEO Craig Gear
MAP ELEMENT RESOURCES
The MAP offers a suite of resources that can be localised to the context of each state/territory and the internal processes of each residential aged care service.
The MAP approach recognises that ‘one off education’ is not enough. It requires guidelines for resident care, information for residents and families, education for staff, frameworks for change, organisational policies and an audit tool.
Information and education are provided to ensure staff, residents and families understand resident’s sexual rights and responsibilities and staff rights and responsibilities in this context.
The Charter outlines 14 rights and responsibilities of residents and staff in residential aged care. The aim is to support prevention of sexual assault in residential aged care, by clarifying when sexual activity is acceptable – and when is not.
Staff understand and implement practical strategies for communicating about sexual assault in ways that are honest, timely, ethically responsible, and professionally expected.
The organisation has a sexual assault policy or guidelines and audits its service against the #ReadyToListen MAP Guidelines, to identify and make improvements.
The Project Coordinator, Dr Catherine Barrett, is the Director of Celebrate Ageing and long term advocate for prevention of the sexual assault of older women.
Are you #ReadyToListen?
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