The federal government has announced the establishment of a formal inquiry into elder abuse in Australia.

Speaking in the opening address of 4th National Elder Abuse Conference 2016, Attorney General, Senator George Brandis said elder abuse was a human rights issue and he was taking the opportunity to announce the new inquiry into laws and frameworks to safeguard older Australians from misuse and abuse.

While the inquiry has been welcomed by advocates for older people, what's missing is some hard data on the true extent of elder abuse in the community. Some say that research to address this gap should be an urgent prority. 

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