A new education program offered by Cochrane Family and Community Support Services is aimed at helping the community identify and combat elder abuse.
The first of “It’s Not Right: Neighbours, Friends and Family of Older Adults” presentations kicked off on Nov. 1 at the Seniors on the Bow Centre.
“Everybody in the community is responsible. If they see something that’s not right, to do something about it,” said Sharon Moore, seniors’ project facilitator.
The educational presentation includes signs to look for when suspecting an abuse situation and steps to take to support the older adult.
Some of the warning signs are a change in personality, missing usual activities such as church and unusual injuries that don’t match the explanation.
The symptoms can also be subtle and the forms of abuse can range from physical, financial, mental and emotional.
By educating community members to recognize the signs however, the more likely the older adult may have an opportunity to seek necessary assistance.
Moore hopes the program will reach 5,000 people in the Cochrane area by March.
The plan is to get people in various professions and backgrounds engaged and aware, Moore added.
The presentation also included how to approach an older adult that may be a victim of elder abuse. Moore said the key is ensuring the approach is gentle.
“Caring, not accusing, and sharing that they really care about that person and that they’re concerned that they’re not being treated appropriately,” Moore explained.
However, Moore added it is up to the older adult to take action.
“It’s up to the person whose being abused to decide if they want to do something about it. That’s the essence of this training,” Moore said.
“So we’re trying to train people that it’s not for you to make that decision, it’s for that older adult.”
Attendees were also taught a “See it, name it, check it” (SNC) technique with the purpose of reducing or eliminating isolation and to increase safety for everyone.
“Learning to ‘see it, check it’ is a matter of understanding it as a process of small steps. We SNC it to open the door for support,” Moore said, adding that it’s important to include ageism in the discussion.
Nori Tokuda said she has never gone through any form of abuse herself, but attended the event so she could learn more about the various types of older adult abuse.
“I chum around with other senior ladies and we kind of decided it may be something interesting to go to,” Tokuda said.“ Being able to recognize a situation and approach the person to see if they really need help.”
She added the training was valuable in the sense she learned how to refer victims to trained professionals.
Earlier in the year, Moore and a team created a community response model which links bystanders to resources within the community including the RCMP, various health and social organizations and the Kirby Centre in Calgary. Anyone with questions may contact Jenny-Lyn Keen at (403) 851-2960.
The presenters were trained through a program titled “Train the Presenter Training” on Oct. 30. Those presenters are now going out to the community to educate on responding to Elder Abuse through the It’s Not Right program.
The next presentation is Nov. 22 at 209 2 Ave West from 6:30 to 8 p.m., however Moore said additional presentations can be requested.
