Finally, the Campaign and co-Chairs supported the coalition of organisations advocating for a visible and
mandated health warning on alcohol products last year. This was put to a ministerial vote and succeeded
by just one vote, a significant win for public health considering the strength and influence of the alcohol
industry lobbyists, even in the midst of a global pandemic.
Elder Abuse - know the signs
In this reporting period, Commissioner Patterson continued her term goal and program to improve
Australia’s recognition and response to elder abuse, building on the findings of the 2017 Australian Law
Reform Commission (ALRC) report, Elder Abuse – A National Legal Response, and encouraging implementation
of the recommendations.
This included launching an elder abuse awareness video on 1 October 2020 (International Day of Older
Persons) to increase awareness of elder abuse and the national helpline, 1800 ELDERHelp (1800 353 374).
Following the launch, a ‘Know the Signs’ campaign was run. The campaign’s reach and response outcomes
are detailed in case study 4. The video has been launched across Australia through social media, radio and
television. Internationally, the Serbian Red Cross used the video in their 2021 World Elder Abuse Awareness
Day (WEAAD) campaign in Belgrade, and across Serbia. The video continues to be distributed across a
range of channels and a second video is in development, to be launched later in 2021.
Commissioner Patterson continued to distribute elder abuse awareness bookmarks – a resource developed
with the agreement of the concept originators, ACT Legal Aid, and in partnership with the AttorneyGeneral’s Department.
The bookmarks and posters continue to be very popular with thousands printed, and importantly,
distributed. Figure 4 shows distribution as of 30 June 2021.
Annual Report 2020–2021
Australian Human Rights Commission
53