ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS
By The Honourable Filomena Tassi,
Minister of Seniors
Any kind of abuse against seniors is unacceptable, and
abuse can happen to anyone in any relationship, which is
why I want to encourage seniors and their families to get
informed and be vigilant about the signs that indicate elder
abuse might be happening.
Here are some ways to recognize elder
abuse so you can help prevent it:
Learn the red flags! Things like unexplained physical
injuries, improper use of medication, a sudden drop in cash
flow, confusion about new legal documents, dehydration,
poor nutrition or hygiene are all indicators of possible abuse.
Suspicious? Say something! Take photos of any
injuries, report any odd behaviour or incidents to authorities,
and talk to your friends and family to spread awareness.
You are not on your own:
Preventing elder abuse is not just up to
seniors and their families
The Government of Canada is also working to put an end to
financial abuse. Last year, we introduced legislative provisions
to advance the rights of bank consumers, so everyone can
benefit from stronger banking protections. We also launched a
public inquiry(1) into misleading, high-pressure sales tactics
often used by telecom providers and now we’re moving towards
an evidence-based solution to aggressive and misleading sales
practices.
What’s more, Budget 2019 proposed to invest an additional
100 million dollars, over five years, in the New Horizons for
Seniors Program (NHSP)(2). One of the NHSP’s priorities
is to ensure that seniors and their families learn about abuse,
so they can prevent it, or put a stop to it if it does occur.
Further, the Family Violence Initiative(3) promotes public
awareness of the risk factors of family violence and the need
for public involvement in responding to it.
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Lots more online! www.silvergoldmagazine.ca
As our society ages, it is increasingly important to address
elder abuse in our communities.
Together, we can help reduce and prevent elder abuse.•
For Minister of Seniors:
[email protected]
165, Hotel-de-Ville Street, Phase II, 11th floor,
Gatineau (QC) K1A 0J2
(1) Public Inquiry: crtc.gc.ca/eng/phone/telsp.htm
(2) NHSP: Visit the government of Canada website at
canada.ca or mail: New Horizons for Seniors Program
Government of Canada
P.O. Box 538, Station Don Mills
North York, ON M3C 0N9
(3) Family Violence Initiatives: Visit the government of
Canada website at canada.ca and search for “Stop Family
Violence” for links to support and resources in your area.
June is Elder Abuse Awareness month, a time
when we raise awareness about abuse affecting seniors and
elders across Canada and around the world. Unfortunately,
seniors, from all walks of life, can be particularly vulnerable
to abuse whether it is physical, psychological or financial.
The program provides funding for projects
that encourage seniors to play an important
role in their communities by volunteering,
participating in and leading community
activities. The program also provides funds to
help organizations make necessary modifications
or repairs to their facilities, or to purchase
replacement equipment and furnishings, to
enable their continued use for programs and
activities for seniors.
Through the NHSP, the Government of Canada
encourages seniors to share their knowledge,
skills and experiences to the benefit of others.
This application process is intended to fund
projects up to $25,000 that are led or inspired
by seniors, volunteer-based and supported by
their communities.
The application process is open now until
June 21, 2019 at 11:59 am.
For questions please contact
NHSP toll-free number
1-800-277-9914 and select “0”