Dr Eileen O’Brien is Professor of Law and Ageing in the Discipline of Law, Justice and Society at the University of South Australia. She teaches and researches in ageing and law, housing and tenancy law, and consumer law. Eileen is a former academic member of the Law Reform Commission of Western Australia.
Eileen is passionate about housing issues affecting vulnerable members of our society and her recent research focuses on people experiencing housing stress and homelessness. She has written widely on security of tenure for older people, particularly how the operation of existing laws may make older people susceptible to financial exploitation. She has also examined how revised property and planning laws could facilitate more downsizing options for Seniors, canvassed the necessity for law reform to address the contentious issue of assets for care arrangements and considered whether property law and human rights principles could assist in alleviating the plight of older women who have become homeless.
Eileen has been a member of several national AHURI projects examining housing vulnerability (with a focus on older people). In 2022 she contributed to two AHURI inquiries: Alternative housing models for precariously housed older Australians and Impact of residential tenancy legislation on investment decisions and also finalised research on the impact of tenancy laws on women and children escaping violence (DSS). Eileen is the co-editor of 'The Age-friendly Lens (Routledge, 2023) and is involved in a prevalence study examining the abuse of older Western Australians (WA Dept of Communities), a research project on legislating for enforceable human rights in aged care (Australian Association of Gerontology) and a pilot program trialing Eldercaring Coordination (Relationships Australia (SA)).
Eileen co-ordinates and teaches in UniSA’s Ageing and the Law program. She also contributes to post-graduate programs in Disability and Ageing.
Eileen is a foundation member of the Australian Research Network on Law and Ageing (ARNLA), a member of the Australian Association of Gerontology, including the Housing and Built Environment and Elder Abuse special interest groups, the Advisory Board to Elder Abuse Action Australia (EAAA) and a consultant to Aged Care Justice.