Elder abuse is the perfect crime.

The victims rarely complain, and if they do their complaints are scarcely heard. If anyone listens, action is unusual. And then they die.

We move on, relieved that the suffering of an older person has ended and released from our sense of guilt over failing to solve the problem.

Many of us are even more relieved to be able to continue denying the reality of our own ageing.

Take heart. You are not alone in these views. It is the way of our civilised society.

What we know about elder abuse: It's estimated between 2 and 14 per cent of older Australians experience elder abuse, but evidence is lacking

It's estimated between 2 and 14 per cent of older Australians experience elder abuse, but evidence is lacking Data suggests most elder abuse is committed by family members of victims

Data suggests most elder abuse is committed by family members of victims Financial abuse is the most common form of elder abuse, according to limited research Source: Australian Institute of Family Studies

Promoting awareness of the thoughtless, exploitative, mean and sometimes criminal behaviours towards older people that is prevalent in our society is a miserable way to start our day.

Since 2012, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day has been observed on June 15 to recognise the growing global population of older people, and the abuse of health and human rights that many face.

Confronting our fear of ageing

Addressing elder abuse requires each one of us to be brave and honest.

We preferred our younger self, a person we remember as fitter, more capable, filled with potential and hope for a bright future.

We value able persons more than disabled persons — and with age come disability.

Old able-bodied people do not identify with disabled older people.

And rarely does anyone identify with persons with dementia.

The idea of ageing is a frightening thought for many, Professor Ibrahim says. ( ABC News: Brendan Esposito )

Many of us fear getting old more than death itself.

One of the great successes of modern civilisation is the virtual eradication of injury and disease in childhood. This leads to longevity. It is ironic that as we work hard to avoid dying, we forget that living longer means getting older.

Instead of celebrating this success our solution to getting old has been denial — we hope to die before needing to enter a nursing home.

But we should be working towards making our society and our aged care systems better.

Complaints are scarcely heard

We do not listen to older people with physical or cognitive disabilities because we avoid listening to any vulnerable population.

The most recent classic example of this is exemplified by our collective failure to address sexual abuse of children. We did not listen when they spoke as vulnerable children.

It was only when they grew to become adults that anyone listened and heard what was being said.

Seeking help can be extremely difficult for victims with dementia. ( ABC News: Brendan Esposito )

The examples of societal failures to listen are repeated in the abuses of our Indigenous people, our women and our LGBTI population.

Eventually they were heard — often after decades of advocacy.

Old people die. They often die within a year of significant elder abuse.

They cannot sustain an advocacy campaign.

When they die their story and the impetus for action dies with them.

Even if someone listens, action is unusual

Parliament does not listen to nor respect older people enough to make available the essential services needed to maintain them their homes.

The quality of care offered to the most vulnerable population in our society is left to market forces.

These are frail older persons with dementia who need assistance with their personal care and live-in nursing homes.

Yet they are often expected to identify which facility and provider could best care for their needs and drive change in the sector — as any other consumer.

Government departments do not act — and why remains unclear.

The quality of care is left to market forces, leaving the elderly vulnerable without proper advocacy. ( Unsplash: Rawpixel )

Information about serious harm to elderly nursing home residents has been gathered for more than a decade but the problem has not been addressed.

Information to assist a consumer's ability to exercise choice in a free market is not available.

Even the justice system responds differently to older people and especially if they are a person with dementia.

Police will not charge a perpetrator on the say-so of a person with dementia, if charged, lawyers will not prosecute.

Most of the time, the person dies before their day in court.

The way forward

Change requires leadership, persistence and concerted efforts with impeccable timing in places that lead to action.

Waiting for change to be initiated by the group most affected by elder abuse is folly: there will not be a Martin Luther King or Emmeline Pankhurst leading the fight against elder abuse. It is not possible.

But denying the problem because an advocacy group replete with living survivors does not exist is unfair and wrong.

This can only change if ordinary people like us do the extraordinary.

It's in our interest to make aged care as good as possible. ( ABC News: Glyn Jones )

We must commit to action to hold ourselves, our parliament, aged care, legal and social structures to account.

These actions include respecting older people, acknowledging they have the same rights as everyone else, enacting and enforcing laws to better protect them from abuse or exploitation, supporting victims to navigate the legal system and restitution so survivors have a life worth living.

Your future self, assuming you age successfully, will be the beneficiary.

Professor Joseph E Ibrahim is from Monash University's Health Law and Ageing Research Unit.