Bridget

Bridget describes herself as a ‘Forgotten Australian’ – one of many adults who spent much of their childhood and youth in institutional or out-of-home care, and experienced abuse and neglect in these settings. She also has disability that she acquired as an adult.

Bridget told the Royal Commission that Forgotten Australians have encountered ‘many issues resulting in disabilities’ from their sexual abuse experiences while in care as children. ‘[We are] now at the age when we are developing various disabilities – including intellectual, mental health, sensory and mobility,’ she said.

Bridget says Forgotten Australians are ‘vulnerable to being re-traumatised by both disability and aged care service providers who are not trained to deal with our needs and the effects of our trauma’. They are also likely to feel ‘fearful of being hospitalised by doctors, and scared of aged care, and overwhelmed when dealing with Centrelink’.

Bridget identified the high turnover of rostered staff in disability and aged care settings as an issue.

‘Forgotten Australians living with complex trauma need a trusting relationship with the care provider to feel safe. Feeling safe is compromised by regularly rotating staff on casual shifts.’

Experiences of childhood abuse and neglect, Bridget said, can affect every aspect of the lives of Forgotten Australians – including behaviour, responses, choices, living situations, relationships and their mental and physical health. Support providers, health care professionals and government need to be better educated about the specific needs of Forgotten Australians with disability.

There needs to be trauma-informed training, a focus on consistency and gender-appropriateness of carers, and better response times by Centrelink, she says.

Especially in times of pandemic, Bridget added, it is important to understand the impacts of isolation on older people and make sure everyone can readily understand the risks and reasons for restrictions and how to protect themselves.