National Senior Safety Week
Old age is not a crime. Yet far too often in Canada, our seniors are made to feel like they’re a burden, an inconvenience and a problem. This needs to stop.
National Senior Safety Week is November 6-12 and the Canada Safety Council, in collaboration with Juniper Park\TBWA, want to showcase the severity and the complexity of elder abuse.
“We really wanted to jolt people awake to the severity of the issue,” says Gareth Jones, President and CEO of the Canada Safety Council. “This is real life for many seniors across the country and we need to address it.”
According to the most recent statistics available from Statistics Canada, there were 12,202 victims of police-reported violence in 2018. One-third of these seniors were victimized by a family member. Further, of these victims of family-related violence, 63 per cent had physical force used against them.
Elder abuse can take many forms, but typically falls into one of the following categories:
- Physical — deliberate use of force resulting in pain or injury,
- Emotional — humiliation, intimidation or blame, for instance, causing psychological pain or distress,
- Sexual — contact without consent,
- Neglect — abdication of caretaking obligations, whether intentional or not, and
- Financial — unauthorized use or control of an elder’s finances.
Signs of abuse
Keep a watchful eye for any signs of abuse. These can include, but are not limited to: depression, isolation, unexplained injuries or bruises, broken or damaged personal effects, unusual weight loss, unkempt appearance, lack of season-appropriate wear, sudden changes in spending habits.
If you are concerned and believe you are spotting any of these signs, call and visit as often as you can. Being present for the potentially abused senior can help you gain their trust and see their living conditions firsthand.
If the elder does not want your help, accept their boundary but continue checking in with them. It can help to know they aren’t going through the situation alone and that they have allies and people who care about their well-being.
Report any witnessed or confided abuse to one of these resources or, in an emergency, the police. Do not confront the abuser directly — this could lead to the unintended side effect of putting the abused senior in more danger.
Old age is not a crime. We have a responsibility to take care of our senior citizens.
Old age is not a crime. Yet far too often in Canada, our seniors are made to feel like they’re a burden, an inconvenience and a problem. This needs to stop.
National Senior Safety Week is November 6-12 and the Canada Safety Council, in collaboration with Juniper Park\TBWA, want to showcase the severity and the complexity of elder abuse.
“We really wanted to jolt people awake to the severity of the issue,” says Gareth Jones, President and CEO of the Canada Safety Council. “This is real life for many seniors across the country and we need to address it.”
According to the most recent statistics available from Statistics Canada, there were 12,202 victims of police-reported violence in 2018. One-third of these seniors were victimized by a family member. Further, of these victims of family-related violence, 63 per cent had physical force used against them.
Elder abuse can take many forms, but typically falls into one of the following categories:
- Physical — deliberate use of force resulting in pain or injury,
- Emotional — humiliation, intimidation or blame, for instance, causing psychological pain or distress,
- Sexual — contact without consent,
- Neglect — abdication of caretaking obligations, whether intentional or not, and
- Financial — unauthorized use or control of an elder’s finances.
Signs of abuse
Keep a watchful eye for any signs of abuse. These can include, but are not limited to: depression, isolation, unexplained injuries or bruises, broken or damaged personal effects, unusual weight loss, unkempt appearance, lack of season-appropriate wear, sudden changes in spending habits.
If you are concerned and believe you are spotting any of these signs, call and visit as often as you can. Being present for the potentially abused senior can help you gain their trust and see their living conditions firsthand.
If the elder does not want your help, accept their boundary but continue checking in with them. It can help to know they aren’t going through the situation alone and that they have allies and people who care about their well-being.
Report any witnessed or confided abuse to one of these resources or, in an emergency, the police. Do not confront the abuser directly — this could lead to the unintended side effect of putting the abused senior in more danger.
Old age is not a crime. We have a responsibility to take care of our senior citizens.
For more information, please contact:
Lewis Smith, Manager, National Projects, Canada Safety Council
lewis.smith@safety-council.org
La vieillesse n’est pas un crime
Semaine nationale de la sécurité des aînés
La vieillesse n’est pas un crime. Pourtant, bien trop souvent au Canada, nos personnes âgées se sentent souvent comme un fardeau, un inconvénient et un problème. Il faut que cela cesse.
La Semaine nationale de la sécurité des aînés se déroule du 6 au 12 novembre et le Conseil canadien de la sécurité, en collaboration avec Juniper Park\TBWA, souhaite mettre en évidence la gravité et la complexité de la maltraitance des personnes âgées.
« Nous voulions vraiment réveiller les gens en leur faisant prendre conscience de la gravité du problème », déclare Gareth Jones, président et directeur général du Conseil canadien de la sécurité. « C’est la vraie vie pour de nombreuses personnes âgées partout au pays et nous devons nous en occuper ».
Selon les plus récentes statistiques de Statistique Canada, il y a eu 12 202 victimes de violences déclarées par la police en 2018. Un tiers de ces personnes âgées ont été victimisées par un membre de leur famille. De plus, 63 % de ces victimes de violence familiale ont été victimes de force physique.
La maltraitance des personnes âgées peut prendre de nombreuses formes, mais elle relève généralement de l’une des catégories suivantes :
- Physique – utilisation délibérée de la force entraînant des douleurs ou des blessures;
- Émotionnel – humiliation, intimidation ou blâme, par exemple, causant une douleur ou une détresse psychologique;
- Sexuel – contact sans consentement;
- Négligence – abdication de ses obligations envers les besoins de la personne âgée, qu’elle soit intentionnelle ou non;
- Financier – utilisation ou contrôle non autorisé des finances d’une personne âgée.
Signes de maltraitance
Demeurez attentif à tout signe de maltraitance. Il peut s’agir, entre autres, de dépression, d’isolement, de blessures ou d’ecchymoses inexpliquées, d’effets personnels cassés ou endommagés, d’une perte de poids inhabituelle, d’une apparence négligée, d’un manque de vêtements adaptés à la saison, de changements soudains dans les habitudes de dépenses.
Si vous êtes inquiet et que vous pensez reconnaître l’un de ces signes, appelez et rendez leur visite aussi souvent que possible. Être présent pour la personne âgée qui est potentiellement victime de maltraitance peut vous aider à gagner sa confiance et à voir de vos propres yeux ses conditions de vie.
Si la personne âgée ne veut pas de votre aide, acceptez la situation, mais offrez‑lui continuellement votre soutien. Il peut être utile de savoir qu’elle ne traverse pas la situation seule et qu’elle a des alliés et des personnes qui se soucient de son bien-être.
Signalez toute maltraitance observée ou confiée à l’une de ces ressources ou, en cas d’urgence, à la police. Ne confrontez pas directement l’agresseur, car cela pourrait avoir comme effet secondaire involontaire d’exposer la personne âgée maltraitée à un plus grand danger.
La vieillesse n’est pas un crime. Nous avons la responsabilité de prendre soin de nos personnes âgées.
Pour obtenir de plus amples renseignements, veuillez communiquer avec :
Lewis Smith, gestionnaire, projets nationaux, Conseil canadien de la sécurité
lewis.smith@safety-council.org
