Since 2011, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) has been observed on June 15, the official United Nations International Day recognizing the magnitude of elder abuse as a public health and human rights issue.
The 2023 theme is Closing the Circle: Addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Older Age – Policy, Law and Evidence-based Responses.
Elder abuse can be defined as neglect, violence, or emotional, psychological, or financial abuse aimed at anyone over the age of 65.
The province says an estimated one in 10 seniors is a victim of elder abuse and the population of seniors in Alberta is rising at a more rapid pace than other age groups. As of September 30, 2022, more than 725,000 Albertans were over the age of 65 and that number is expected to double within the next two decades.
In response to the growing concern of elder abuse, the government of Alberta is partnering with not-for-profit organizations to help increase prevention with a commitment to the Kerby Unison Centre in Calgary and the Sage Seniors Safe House in Edmonton. They will receive $4.2 million in operational funding over three years, an increase of $625,000 over last year.
In addition, $3.2 million is being provided to the Alberta Elder Abuse Awareness Council. This money is intended to go directly to support seniors and their families who are at risk of experiencing abuse.
“Survivors of elder abuse need specialized support and our elder abuse program and shelter are on the front line when it comes to providing a safe refuge,” said Unison CEO Larry Mathieson.
Unison says over 300 seniors have been turned away each year, for the last three years at their elder abuse shelter. The shelter had an annual operating budget of $403,000. The extra support from the province will increase their annual budget to $878,000, the highest increase in the program’s history.
The shelter plans to use the additional funds to hire more outreach workers and increase the number of available beds from nine to 14.
Since the pandemic rates of abuse of older people have increased. According to a 2022 study from the World Health Organization, one in six people 60 years and older experienced some form of abuse in community settings in the past year. WHO says rates of abuse of elders are higher in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, with two in three staff reporting that they have committed abuse in the past year.
“This was in large part due to the increase in social isolation and decreased in-home supports, and unfortunately, we continue to see the negative impacts of that today,” said Paula Telfer the Chief Executive Officer of social impact organization Carya.
Globally the number of people 60 or older is expected to grow by 38 per cent from 1 billion to 1.4 billion between 2019 and 2030, according to the UN. This increase will impact developing countries at the fastest rate.
Senior advocates use World Elder Abuse Awareness Day to increase the visibility of all forms of elder abuse, create community action, and draw people into discussions on how to foster dignity and respect of older adults.
“June 15th is a day to end the stigma around elder abuse and bring it to the forefront of our conversations. Awareness and action go hand in hand. We all have a role to play to prevent elder abuse in Canada,” said Bénédicte Schoepflin the Executive Director of the Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse.
Schoepflin wants everyone to get educated on how to recognize the signs of elder abuse, learn how to respond safely to a situation involving abuse, and how to refer someone to the appropriate services.
“We call on our elected officials to put an end to systemic ageism by prioritizing elder abuse prevention and appropriately funding our sector which has been chronically overlooked and underfunded for years,” said Schoepflin.
Carya CEO Paula Telfer says the non-profit sector is facing significant financial strain, which is impeding their ability to meet the growing needs of the senior community they serve. They want the federal and provincial government to increase multiyear funding commitments.
“Recognizing the rising demand for senior services, provincial and federal governments can reassess their budgetary priorities and allocate more resources to the social impact sector which is meeting the vital needs of citizens and filling the gaps in government provided services,” said Telfer.
The province says elder abuse prevention is part of the government’s broader efforts to support seniors and promote healthy aging. In 2022 Alberta rolled out a five-year plan called A Collective Approach: Alberta’s Strategy for Preventing and Addressing Elder Abuse.
The five goals are improving awareness, recruiting skilled service providers, coordinating short and long term community responses, developing creative laws to uphold senior rights, and lastly collecting high quality data, information sharing practices and research to evaluate and create evidence-based policies.
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