Web resource:	http://www.adfvc.unsw.edu.au/RR_docs/shire_secrets.pdf
Type:	Report
Title:	Shire secrets : women over fifty and domestic violence in the Sutherland Shire project
Authors:	Caringbah Women's Health and Women's Information Centre
Keywords:	Older people;Community education
Year:	2005
Publisher:	Caringbah Women's Health and Women's Information Centre
Notes:	This presents the project undertaken to research the needs of women over the age of 50 living in the Sutherland Shire, NSW, who have experienced or are experiencing domestic violence. Interviews on service access were conducted with 15 women. The women reported that they found the services to be helpful when their experience was believed and validated through non-judgmental response. Services were found unhelpful if the provider chose not to believe the older women or if the violence and its impact on the women’s physical and mental health was not identified by the service provider. There are many reasons why older women did not access services, such as fear of their partner, shame, embarrassment and sense of worthlessness. Recommendations included making services safe, discreet, non-judgmental and advertised, readily available and information easily understood. Community education about domestic violence, its relevance to older women and the services that are available are essential. Groups and activities that bring older women together need to be developed. Peer programmes with the support of health, other government, non-government services and older women in the Sutherland Shire were recommended to be developed. The Division of General Practice in the Sutherland Shire, in collaboration with health services, was recommended to provide regular specialist training and resources for general practitioners to help them identify and respond to domestic violence.
URI:	https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/19054
Appears in Collections:	Reports

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