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TORONTO, ONTARIO, JUNE 15, 2010—The Honourable Diane Ablonczy, Minister of State (Seniors), today pledged the Government’s support in the fight against elder abuse at the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day conference in Toronto.
“The Government of Canada is committed to helping provide Canadians with the knowledge and resources needed to identify and mobilize our society against elder abuse,” said Minister of State Ablonczy.
It is estimated that between 4 and 10 per cent of Canadian seniors experience some kind of abuse. Mistreatment can take a variety of forms, including financial, physical or psychological abuse, as well as neglect.
Coinciding with the fifth annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Minister of State Ablonczy announced funding of almost $1 million for six Federal Elder Abuse Initiative projects. These projects will help national organizations to develop and disseminate elder abuse awareness materials for frontline workers, giving them the tools needed to identify and respond to elder abuse.
“Any form of abuse is unacceptable and should not be tolerated. We need to create an environment where people will take action against this serious issue,” said Minister of State Ablonczy. “We need to give seniors and other Canadians the information they need to raise awareness, stand up and take action. More importantly, we need to empower seniors to speak up individually and collectively.”
Many seniors do not report abuse because they feel isolated and are afraid to speak out. As a result, this problem remains largely hidden. In a recent survey, 96 per cent of Canadians felt that most abuse experienced by older adults is hidden or goes undetected.
In 2009, the Government of Canada launched a national elder abuse awareness advertising campaign called Elder Abuse – It’s Time to Face the Reality. The awareness campaign, scheduled to run again in October, includes television, print and Web components aimed at raising awareness of elder abuse.
For more information on the Government of Canada’s commitments regarding seniors, including elder abuse awareness initiatives, visit www.seniors.gc.ca.
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This news release is available in alternative formats upon request.
For further information (media only):
Alayne Crawford
Senior Communications Advisor
Office of Minister of State Ablonczy
613-960-8717
Media Relations Office
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
819-994-5559
Backgrounder
Budget 2008 committed $13 million over three years to help seniors and others recognize the signs and symptoms of elder abuse, and to provide information on available support. As part of this commitment, the Government of Canada, through the Federal Elder Abuse Initiative, launched a national elder abuse awareness advertising campaign in 2009, called Elder Abuse – It’s Time to Face the Reality. The awareness campaign included television, print and Web components aimed at encouraging Canadians to take action towards preventing elder abuse.
A call for proposals under the Federal Elder Abuse Initiative was also open for six weeks in the summer of 2009. The call invited professional associations to apply for funding to adapt, customize and disseminate elder abuse materials for use throughout their organizations. The following projects are receiving funding:
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Organizations |
Project Description |
Funding |
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Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists |
The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists will develop and disseminate a guideline document and Web-based tutorial to educate its members on indicators of elder abuse, prevention, intervention and reporting protocols, relevant legislation, and available resources for older adults. The goal of these resources is to provide members with increased awareness and understanding of elder abuse, and to enhance their capacity to respond to situations of abuse. |
$141,099 |
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Canadian Dental Hygienists Association |
The Canadian Dental Hygienists Association will create a professional development program for dental hygienists on elder abuse, comprised of an online course, interactive Webinars, and educational print resources. The program will increase awareness and understanding of elder abuse among the Association’s members, and enhance their capacity to respond to situations of abuse. |
$175,990 |
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Canadian Nurses Association |
The Canadian Nurses Association will develop education sessions on elder abuse prevention, and deliver them to frontline service providers in five long?term care homes across Canada. These education sessions, with complementary resources, will increase frontline service providers’ awareness and understanding of elder abuse. |
$200,000 |
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Fédération des associations de juristes d’expression française |
The Fédération des associations de juristes d’expression française will offer tailored information sessions to legal members in seven provinces across Canada (BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, NB, NS) to increase awareness of elder abuse and strengthen services to seniors. |
$164,500 |
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Fédération des locataires d’habitations à loyer modique du Québec |
The Fédération des locataires d’habitations à loyer modique du Québec will educate and train volunteers, tenants, managers, and social and community workers in its 300 resident associations about the prevention and detection of abuse against seniors. |
$101,300 |
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Fondation du Centre de santé et de services sociaux de la Vieille-Capitale |
The Fondation du Centre de santé et de services sociaux de la Vieille-Capitale will develop and deliver a workshop to train 700 salaried workers, as well as volunteers outside the health and social services network, on elder abuse detection and intervention. Primary care service providers will have increased awareness and understanding of elder abuse and enhanced capacity to respond to instances of abuse. |
$161,300 |
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Total: |
$944,189 |
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was first declared by the World Health Organization and the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse to “reflect the need for people to understand what abuse and neglect of older adults is and how it can be prevented.”
The first World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was held at the United Nations headquarters in New York City in 2006.
Elder Abuse Defined
The World Health Organization defines elder abuse as “a single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within a relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person.” Abuse can be physical, financial, psychological or sexual. Neglect may also be considered abuse.
For more information on the Government of Canada’s elder abuse initiatives, visit www.seniors.gc.ca or call 1 800 O-Canada (1-800-622-6232). People using a teletypewriter device (TTY), can call 1-800-926-9105.
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