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If you or someone you know is at immediate risk or harm call 911
For 24 hour support and referral, call Family Violence Info Line 310-1818

If you or someone you know is at immediate risk or harm call 911
For 24 hour support and referral, call Family Violence Info Line 310-1818

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Podcasts

Abuse comes in many forms and doesn't discriminate between race, culture, sexual orientation, gender or age.

In this episode, I am joined by Gabrielle Kirk of the Elder Abuse Response Coalition of Claresholm/Vulcan and Donelda Laing of the Foothills Coordinated Community Response Steering Committee to talk about the similarities and differences between elder abuse vs. intimate partner abuse, the signs to watch for and how you can support someone affected.

In our conversation they mention some numbers you can call to report elder abuse:

Rowan House Emergency Shelter | 403-652-3311
Okotoks Family Resource Centre | 403-995-2626
High River FCSS | 403-652-8620
Distress Centre* (24 hours) | 403-266-4357
Elder Abuse Response Program | 403-715-9223
Claresholm FCSS | 403-625-4417
Ranchlands Victim Services | 403-625-4444
Vulcan FCSS | 403-485-2192
Vulcan County Victim Service | 403-485-6163

*The Distress Centre is a 24-hour crisis/support line that can connect you to: Calgary Seniors Resource Society - Seniors Connect Outreach Program, Alberta Health Services - Mobile Response Team for Mental Health, and the RCMP.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, held June 15 each year, is an effort to raise awareness of the mistreatment of older adults. In Alberta, and across Canada, communities host activities and raising awareness to highlight the day. For a number of years, the Alberta Elder Abuse Awareness Council has collaborated with the Alberta Government to create materials that increase awareness and support a community response to elder abuse. Materials include an elder abuse poster as well as information on financial abuse of seniors, an elder abuse screening guide for service providers, a guide with information about options for financial and personal decision-making; and a fact sheet on elder abuse available in seven different languages.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was established in 2006 by the International Network for Elder Abuse.



Isolation puts older adults at an increased risk of elder abuse. Wear Purple on June 15th.

By the year 2036, between 23- 25% of our population will be 65 and older. While there is an increasing awareness about older adults’ health and wellness, as well as programs to support this awareness, social isolation continues to be an issue for older adults in our communities. The National Senior’s Council of Canada defines social isolation as a low quantity and quality of contact with others. Social isolation can occur among older adults that live alone, or have no friends or family nearby. It can occur when a person moves to a new area, or has little social involvement. A change in a person’s health can affect their ability to connect in meaningful ways. Chronic illness, mental health issues, dementia, and mobility issues can all lead to social isolation. Older adults can be more at risk for social isolation if they have limited assistance with activities such as meal planning, shopping and transportation. Additional factors, including lower income, visible minorities and language barriers may increase this risk further. The level of connection that someone has demonstrates how socially isolated that person is. Social isolation among older adults is related to negative health effects and a reduced quality of life, and in addition, social isolation can also be a risk factor for elder abuse. Older adults experiencing social isolation have an increased chance of premature death, poor mental health, disability from chronic diseases, and depression.

Loneliness, a feeling often seen as connected to isolation, is in fact, not always related. It is important to note, that while loneliness may be felt by older adults experiencing social isolation, they are not the same. Loneliness is a subjective emotion, felt by people regardless of their circumstances; social isolation is an objective state. People around the older adult, including family, support services, and caregivers can measure the supports an older adult has, or more importantly, doesn’t have.

According to a 2006 study by Dr. Janice Keefe, over 30% of Canada’s older adults are at risk of social isolation, some of whom will experience elder abuse. Elder abuse is the action, or inaction of a person in a position of trust that causes harm to an older adult. This can include adult children, family members, friends, or caregivers. Controlling an older adult’s finances without their permission, forcing or withholding medication, and emotional and physical violence are all forms of elder abuse. Social isolation is considered both a risk factor for as well as a result of elder abuse, representing the complexity and importance of the social network around the health and well-being of older adults. Over time, someone experiencing abuse at the hands of a trusted helper may recede further into isolation as a result of the dynamics of abuse. Feelings of shame about what is happening to them may cause them to withdraw from social settings. Some people grow up believing that this abuse is normal, and even, acceptable. These conditions keep the victim of abuse silent, again, reinforcing the isolation that is a part of the cycle of abuse.

Elder abuse is not right and we can do something about it. On June 15th, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, wear purple and talk about how we can include those who are isolated. Some ideas are regular phone calls to check-in; set up a visitation schedule amongst family and friends; offer to take the person shopping; offer transportation to medical or other appointments; invite to meet for coffee or other outings; offer assistance with the computer; offer to research community resources; drop off prepared meals/offer to prepare meals with them. Reducing isolation is a key factor for reducing the risk of elder abuse. Finding ways to eliminate isolation and help foster a community where people from all walks of life can contribute and engage with others in healthy ways is not only good for an individual’s health, but will help our communities thrive.

By Cortney Lohnes, Stop Abuse in Families (SAIF) Society

Online Resources

The following list represents a selection of some current online resources that address the issue of Elder Abuse.  They may help you expand your knowledge and awareness of this growing social concern.  This list is meant as a starting point and is by no means a complete list of online resources that may be available. 

Alberta Based Web Resources

Canadian Web Resources

International Web Resources

Print Resources

Do you have a resource you would like to share?
Contact us at info@albertaelderabuse.ca and we can arrange to have it posted here.

The following list represents a selection of resources that address the issue of Elder Abuse. Some of these have been developed as a part of an AEAAC initiative. Some are community-based while others are related to initiatives in other parts of the country. They may help you expand your knowledge and awareness regarding the abuse of older people.

This list is meant as a starting point and is by no means a complete list of resources that may be available. These are pdf documents and can be easily downloaded.

Some of the resources listed have been developed in partnership between AEAAC and the Alberta Government. If you see a resource listing the Government of Alberta, it may be available as a printed material and can be ordered.

To do so, please call the Alberta Support Contact Centre at 1-877-780-644-9992 (toll-free) or locally at 780-644-9992.

AEAAC Resources

Calgary & Area

pdf Elder Abuse Brochure English
pdf Elder Abuse Brochure Arabic
pdf Elder Abuse Brochure Traditional Chinese
pdf Elder Abuse Brochure Simplified Chinese
pdf Elder Abuse Brochure Farsi
pdf Elder Abuse Brochure French
pdf Elder Abuse Brochure Hebrew
pdf Elder Abuse Brochure Punjabi
pdf Elder Abuse Brochure Russian
pdf Elder Abuse Brochure Spanish  
pdf Elder Abuse Brochure Tagalog

Edmonton & Area

pdfPrevention Suggestions for Families & Caregivers
pdfPrevention Suggestions for Older Adults
pdfSafety Plan document

Red Deer & Area

pdfCommunity Resources
pdfCommunity Response

Medicine Hat & Area

pdf Elder Abuse Response Flow Chart
pdf EA Resource Booklet

Hanna & Area

pdf Hanna and Area Service Provider Referral Resource

Other Elder Abuse Related Resources

pdfCommunity Awareness and Response
pdfNova Scotia Elder Abuse Strategy

Videos

Can you recognize the signs of abuse of seniors? Do you know what to do when you see these signs? The Government of Alberta, in partnership with the Alberta Elder Abuse Awareness Council has produced this video to raise awareness of elder abuse and to let those affected know there is help available.

Please watch the video below, and if you are aware of an older adult who is being mistreated, call the Family Violence Information Line at 310-1818.





Alberta Seniors and Housing

Thank you to Alberta Seniors and Housing for their ongoing support as a Funder and Partner

Our Values

Our belief is that no one organization has a broad enough scope to address the complex issue of elder abuse in its entirety. A truly effective community response involves many stakeholders working in collaboration.

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All Rights Reserved.

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