PRINCE GEORGE – June 15 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, and to recognize the importance of the day the City of Prince George hosted a ceremony outside of City Hall.
“We have to be, as a community, keenly aware that it can happen to anybody. It’s not race, gender, it could be anything,” Mayor Simon Yu said.
A report from the Department of Justice Canada says 45% of seniors (people aged over 65 years old) report experiencing some form of abuse in Canada. Provincially, the BC Community Response Networks (BCCRN) says the numbers are quite similar, and a report from the Office of the Seniors Advocate corroborates this, saying there has been a 49% increase in reports of senior abuse to health authorities. The BCCRN hosted an educational session after the ceremony to raise awareness on this important issue.
“Whether it’s neglect, self neglect, physical abuse, verbal abuse, there’s a way to get involved and to get help,” said BCCRN Provincial Vice President Dawn Hemingway.
“There’s so much that we can help each other just by being friends, asking clarifying questions, talking to each other and staying connected,” added BCCRN Northern Interior B.C. Regional Manager Anjali Marshall.
The BCCRN can help connect elders to resources if they are experiencing abuse, and if you think an elder you know is experiencing abuse you can also reach out. But how can you tell if someone is experiencing abuse? Marshall says there are several signs you can look out for.
“If your neighbour does not show up to bingo, or to dance class, or to a potluck dinner that week, you may wonder where they are, so you can keep your ears to the ground and then check in with them, maybe do a wellness check,” Marshall said.
Sometimes recognizing abuse can be a challenge, which is part of the reason why World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is so important. Hemingway says simply knowing how large the issue is and knowing it could be happening to someone you know
“The challenge sometimes is that they’re hidden and people don’t really know, (they wonder) is it really abuse? So that’s why the education and knowing that BCCRN exists is so important,” Hemingway said.
“The sad thing is they’ve been abused, and they suffer in silence because the people doing abuse is a lot of times family members,” Yu said.
Beyond the BCCRN, other local resources like the Prince George Council of Seniors are also available to help with many needs for seniors in our community.
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