Analyzing Community Service for Protecting Senior Citizen Rights

This case study examines the framework for protecting senior citizens in Australia, focusing on addressing social issues like loneliness, security, and ageism. It highlights the role of social security programs and crime prevention strategies, emphasizing the importance of social intervention and fear reduction. The case of Lance, an elderly man receiving family support but still vulnerable to loneliness and crime, is evaluated. The study suggests measures such as neighborly support, home surveillance, psychological support, and law enforcement awareness to enhance his safety and well-being. It recommends services from human rights authorities, social services, healthcare, and police, referencing resources like the Australian Government Department of Health and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. The study concludes by advocating for comprehensive support systems to ensure the security and care of senior citizens.

Running head: COMMUNITY SERVICE
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note

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Table of Contents
Framework for senior citizens:...................................................................................................2
Human and social elements:.......................................................................................................2
Evaluation for the scenario:.......................................................................................................3
Suitable service:.........................................................................................................................4
Resource for management:.........................................................................................................4
Reference:..................................................................................................................................6

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Framework for senior citizens:
The term senior citizenship applied to them who are surpassing their lives with
regenerative abilities and illness. At this point of their age, they are suffering from certain
social issues like loneliness, security and ageism. Protection should be given to these seniors
and certain steps have been taken by the United Nations in 2011 through human rights
conventions. A senior citizen at this time has been suffering from physical as well as mental
depression and it is a duty of the state to take certain proactive steps to protect the life and
wealth of them (Morgan, 2017). Australia is not an exception to this rule and there are certain
social security programs inaugurated by the country to protect the elder citizen. Social
security in Australia is a part of the social welfare payment system where certain gratuity has
been provided by the government by assessing the condition of the senior citizen. The plans
for the senior citizens are governed by the Social Security Act 1991 where age pension is
provided to the people aged 65 and above. Compensations are also provided for personal
injury and other illness. The senior citizens are also covered under the health and welfare
system of Australia (Serrat et al., 2017). Certain safeguards are also provided by the state, as
they are the easy target for the criminals and most of them are victimised by certain offenses
like felony, theft and burglary. Certain crime prevention strategies are required in this case.
Considering the history, it can be stated that the crime against the older citizen has two
dimensions such as (i) health, gender, race and socio-economic circumstances and (ii)
geological diffusion of crime. Social intervention is required in this case to implement the
fear reduction strategies.
Human and social elements:
The senior people at their age have to face lots of dilemmas and trouble. It has been
observed that many older people have to face family issues. However, this case is an

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exception to this. Lance is getting family support here. However, due to his age and sadly
demise of his wife, he is also suffering from loneliness. Further, he is living separately from
his family members and loneliness grabs his life too. He does not want to become a burden
for his family. However, there are certain problems cropped up in his case. According to the
criminal report of Australia for the year 2014-15, it has been proved that the possibility of
commencement of crime against the elder citizen are quite frequent and the anti-socials are
targeting them, as they are lonely and weak compare to others (Crime prevention for older
Australians, 2018). Therefore, additional care is necessary for the older people and
mistreatment to them should be curbed. Mistreatment could be physical, psychological or
financial. In this case, social support is necessary. Further, certain humanitarian steps are
required to be taken. According to the International Human Rights Commission, senior
citizens have the right to lead their life with security and due care and diligence. Therefore,
every possible step is required to be taken for them. Certain institutional settings like hospital,
aged care home, and home for the disabled are required to be established. Mobilization of
actions and implementation of necessary plans are required at the national level. In Australia,
there is a national committee for the prevention of elder abuse, who are taken care of all these
problems (Dahler, Rasmussen & Andersen, 2016). Further, certain programs are required to
gain local support in this regard. Certain social services network are also necessary to
maintain the equality for the elder people.
Evaluation for the scenario:
In this case, it has been observed that Lance is getting much support from his family.
Further, he is getting medical and psychological support too. However, there are certain
chances for him to be inflicted by the anti-socials, as he is living alone. Therefore, certain
steps are required to be taken in his case. First, certain duties are to be taken by his immediate

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neighbour and he should have to appoint a nurse for his daily care. Further, surveillance
camera should have to be installed in his home so that disturbance from the outsiders could
be avoided. The law enforcement security should have to be aware and sufficient security he
should have to owe from them (Karimi, 2017). Certain programs are to be taken to develop
his psychological strength so that he can cope up with all the concomitant fears, doubts, stress
and anxieties. In addition to this, steps should be taken to minimize the scope of criminal
activities in his locality and certain social welfare systems are also required to be provided.
According to the Criminal Reports of Australia, it has been observed that there is a pattern of
the crimes committed with the senior citizens. Most of the cases, crimes like felony, racial
maltreatment, burglary and homicides are reported (Lovell et al., 2017). The police authority
should have to be careful for this.
Suitable service:
Considering the merit of the case, certain services are required to deal all these
problems. First, the human rights authority should have to take necessary steps and take care
of senior citizens like Lance. Further, certain social services are required for all these old
people so that they could avoid their loneliness and become socially active (Australian
Human Rights Commission, 2018). Different diagnosis programs can be available from the
health care services. Further, to certain extent, it has been observed that person, who is
leading his life with loneliness, become alcoholic. In this case, health care should be
generated and they are also helpful for the depressions and other age related problems.
Further, securities from the criminals can be available from the police authorities.
Resource for management:
All the medical services can be obtained from the Australian Government Department
of Health websites and certain commonwealth seniors’ health card could be issued against

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them in this case. Human resource services are also available in Australia from where all the
necessary resources are available. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare could be proved
as an important resource. Further, the residential and community care could be acquired from
Department of Health and Ageing site.

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Reference:
Crime prevention for older Australians. (2018). Retrieved from
https://aic.gov.au/publications/crimprev/old
Dahler, A. M., Rasmussen, D. M., & Andersen, P. T. (2016). Meanings and experiences of
assistive technologies in everyday lives of older citizens: a meta-interpretive
review. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 11(8), 619-629.
INQUIRY INTO OLDER PEOPLE AND THE LAW | Australian Human Rights
Commission. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.humanrights.gov.au/inquiry-older-
people-and-law
Karimi, S. (2017). Beyond the Welfare State: Postwar Social Settlement and Public Pension
Policy in Canada and Australia(Vol. 51). University of Toronto Press.
Lovell, M., Guthrie, J., Simpson, P., & Butler, T. (2017). Navigating the political landscape
of Australian criminal justice reform: Senior policy-makers on alternatives to
incarceration. Current Issues Crim. Just., 29, 227.
Morgan, B. (2017). Social citizenship in the shadow of competition: the bureaucratic politics
of regulatory justification. Routledge.
Serrat, R., Warburton, J., Petriwskyj, A., & Villar, F. (2017). Political participation and late-
life learning: a cross-cultural study of older people’s participation in seniors’ interest
organisations in Australia and Spain. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary
and Nonprofit Organizations, 28(1), 265-287.
Zallio, M., Berry, D., & Casiddu, N. (2016, December). Adaptive environments for enabling
senior citizens: An holistic assessment tool for housing design and IoT-based

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technologies. In Internet of Things (WF-IoT), 2016 IEEE 3rd World Forum on (pp.
419-424). IEEE.