In the late 1980s the Australian government was reluctant to acknowledge the presence of elder abuse, even though social workers clearly identified the phenomenon (Kosberg & Garcia, 1995). In the past 10 years, social and economic pressures have led the Australian government to direct attention to policies that address the needs of older people, thereby recognizing that elder abuse is an issue. Initially, Australians relied heavily on data from the United States. It has been stated that dependence on foreign definitions and research may have led to a distortion in the construction of the problem in Australia (Dunn, 1995; McDermott, 1993). Later this changed as Australia found its own voice and created a number of variations to overseas definitions (Dunn, 1995). The consequences of emotional, physical, and financial burdens on caregivers of a dependent older relative were cited by Australian researchers and are reflected in subsequent policies and programs (Dunn,1995).