Celebrating Compass’ achievements in its first 4 years

Compass was created in 2019 by Elder Abuse Action Australia (EAAA) with funding from the federal Attorney-General’s Department as an initiative to tackle elder abuse. The project has two aims: to raise nationwide awareness of this growing social issue, and to simplify the process of connecting people to services and information.

The challenges of combating elder abuse in Australia are immense. A recent national study put a figure on the extent of the problem for the first time: almost 16% of older Australians living in the community experience abuse each year. And with more and more people moving into their senior years, this issue will become increasingly relevant and urgent.

While much more work still needs to be done to properly address the abuse of older Australians right across society, we’re proud of the progress to date. Here’s a recap of what Compass has achieved in the past 4 years.

Australia has a national information hub on abuse of older people

For the first time, Australians now have one central resource for information about elder abuse, with access to:

• over 800 Australian resources

• details of over 300 Australian service providers

• comprehensive, up-to-date information on a range of relevant topics, including ageism, coercive control, elder abuse (understanding, preventing and responding), family agreements, financial abuse, future planning, grandparent alienation, health and wellbeing, isolation, and powers of attorney

• new web content being developed (including Public Trustees and Guardianship) and new articles every month on key topics

• the latest elder abuse news and events from around the country

• a live webinar program, with leading experts encouraging discussion of a variety of subjects

  the opportunity to be part of a community via the Compass Monthly Topics newsletter and social media platforms.

Importantly, Compass has information for all Australians, including culturally and linguistically diverse communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the LGBTQIA+ community, and people living in rural and remote areas.



Over 1 million people have visited Compass

Every year, more and more people visit Compass, accessing its resources and links to service providers. This means that increasing numbers of people are finding out how elder abuse happens, how to recognise its forms, how to prevent it, and how to respond to it in everyday life. Here are some statistics:

• In 2020 just over 35,000 people accessed Compass for assistance with elder abuse.

• In 2021, this figure grew to 120,000.

• In 2022, visitor numbers grew again to 342,500 people.

• And in the first 7 months of 2023 Compass has had more than 345,000 individual visits and is on track to receive more than 500,000 for the full year.

Our webinars have reached thousands of people

Compass has produced 16 live webinars, each on an individual topic affecting elder abuse. These webinars have delivered expert knowledge and experience to audiences through our esteemed panellists, all leaders in their respective fields. The events have provided a forum for questions and conversations to the thousands of people who attended live, and they have been watched by tens of thousands more. In fact, recordings of the 15 Compass webinars have been viewed nearly 125,000 times!

People really connect with our informational videos

As well as articles and webinars, Compass provides information in the form of videos (both long and short) and animations, including a series on preventing, recognising and responding to elder abuse. These engaging and easily understood resources have been viewed nearly 400,000 times!

Compass has become a recognised authority on elder abuse

Compass works within a broad network of organisations across Australia. In many ways, the website serves as a gateway to these important service providers, while over 400 organisations now link directly back to us. These two-way pathways make it easier for people to find Compass and access the help they need.

Increasing this network is a key goal for Compass, especially to enable people across regional and remote Australia to access the help they need easily.

Compass works on mobile devices

Compass is a truly mobile-friendly website, with over 60% of visitors accessing our information on their phones or other devices. The Compass team constantly explores new technological developments and options, committed to making the mobile experience easier and better all the time.

Accessibility is vitally important and will keep getting better

Accessibility is important to Compass, so that as many people as possible can get the information they need. We have recently added a premium language translation tool (with 12 languages!) as well as UserWay, a tool that assists people with sight impairment or reading difficulties to use the website or have the text read aloud if they want.

Our community of older Australians is growing

Through emailed newsletters and active social media, the community gathering around Compass is growing all the time. Our social media activity reaches over 400,000 older Australians each month, providing links to resources, key information and event opportunities. Around 50,000 people engage with our posts monthly, taking up the opportunity to join the conversation about elder abuse awareness, while several thousand people subscribe to our Compass Monthly Topics e-newsletter.

In short Compass has made a significant difference to Australia’s response to the issue of elder abuse. The growth in user numbers and participation in every Compass channel and via every format of content developed is testament to the impact Compass is making to help all Australians better understand, prevent and respond to this major social issue.