The Town of Cochrane’s Family & Community Support Services (FCSS) had a proactive World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15.
To kick the day off, a group of 22 community participants met at the Cochrane Alliance Church to discuss what constitutes elder abuse and how the community can take action. The group then met with the Calgary Elder Abuse Response Team in Calgary to listen to speakers, raise awareness about elder abuse, and learn about community resources
“Elder abuse is any action or inaction by self or others that jeopardizes the health or well-being of any older adult. It is often divided into six categories: physical, emotional, financial, sexual, medication and neglect,” states the Alberta Elder Abuse Awareness Network.
“Right now in Alberta, there is about 500,000 people older than 65 and every day there are 104 people turning 65. So we need to do something different because seniors are the fastest growing population in Canada,” said Sharon Moore, senior’s project facilitator for elder abuse prevention with the FCSS, in a previous interview.
Moore said “elder abuse is extremely complex” and can often be hard to recognize.
“Elder abuse actually starts within the family, it’s under the family violence umbrella … it’s mostly financial and emotional,” Moore explained.
“The challenge is quite often people don’t see it as elder abuse. They think ‘Well we’re family, my parents should be supporting us.’ and it’s kind of that expectation of being supported – it becomes elder abuse unintentionally,” Moore said.
Seniors facing abuse can access help in multiple different forms – police can intervene if the senior is in imminent danger, the senior has the option to leave an abusive situation, the senior can possibly take legal action, or the senior can confide in someone they trust to help find a solution. Moore acts as a go-between for existing resources to work together and find a plan that works for seniors facing abuse in Cochrane.
“My role is to come in and look at a community development model – ‘What’s our response in the community to elder abuse?’ So by identifying and working with existing professionals and materials that we have, there’s the ability to enhance the supports, identify the gaps and strengths in the community, and begin to leverage our current resources,” Moore said.
For more information about elder abuse in Alberta and how to access help, visit albertaelderabuse.ca.
