June 15 has been designated World Elder Abuse Awareness Day since 2006. People around the world raise awareness of Elder abuse through events to share information and promote services that help increase seniors’ safety and well-being.
So, are you wondering what Elder abuse is? Well, a good example happened when a guy came into the A&W and went up to a table where two seniors were sitting. I couldn’t quite hear what he said, but he must have asked them for money, and he was obviously drinking.
The older adults looked at each other and tried to ignore him. He just kept standing there and I was going to say something, but one senior reached into his pocket, and gave the guy some change. The guy started complaining to them.
I was sitting nearby and said, “It’s not nice to bother old people.” He said, “Oh, it’s okay, I know them,” and then he took off. But it wasn’t okay. As I said, it was a good example of someone financially abusing an older adult or a senior.
What is abuse of older adults?
Okay, so just what is abuse of older adults? A good definition comes from The Strategy for Positive Aging in Nova Scotia which says: ‘Elder abuse is the infliction of harm on an older person. It involves any act, or failure to act, that jeopardizes the health and/or well-being of an older person.’ I would add ‘including damage to, or loss of, assets or property.’
To get into it more deeply, abuse of older adults includes physical abuse, such as beating, slapping or even pushing them. Forcible confinement means keeping them from going out, and is also abuse. Our Elders are seen as the vulnerable sector of the population.
A really common one that I saw is financial abuse, such as stealing, fraud, forgery or extortion, which means getting money out of seniors by threatening them. It includes misusing a power of attorney, which is when a senior signs a document to allow someone else to act on the senior’s behalf in private affairs, business, or legal matters.
And of course, there’s sexual abuse, which is any unwanted form of sexual activity. Neglect is also abuse when an older person in our care is not given food, medical attention, other necessary care, or if we simply abandon them.
Some people don’t think emotional abuse is bad, but it is not okay. It includes making fun of an older person, treating them like a kid or threatening, insulting, ignoring, or scaring them.
When it’s a crime
Some forms of Elder abuse can also be a crime that a person can go to jail for. If you see any of the following, call the police or report it to someone in authority, like a chief or a social worker or the mayor.
The NWT sees a lot of physical abuse on seniors that are crimes, such as various assaults including when weapons are used, the older person is physically hurt, or when someone actually gets killed.
Examples of people being charged for sexual sbuse are sexual assault with a weapon or aggravated sexual assault, which is when someone gets hurt while they are being sexually assaulted.
We can also be charged with crimes of neglect when someone under our care is harmed or dies because of our carelessness or we did not provide the necessities of life, which are things like food, water and medication.
Finally, charges can be brought against us for emotional abuse when we intimidate an older person, threaten them, or harass them on the phone.
Usually someone they know
Many people think that Elder abuses are mostly random acts of violence. In fact, the abuse is usually done by a family member or by someone the older adult trusts; that person usually does it deliberately to gain power and control over the victim.
Relationships where an older adult trusts the person are often between family members, between a husband and a wife, or between friends. The relationship can also be between a senior and some paid person they rely on such as a care worker, accountant, or someone providing services in the older adult’s home.
Don’t forget — not all abuse comes through individual action and personal relationships. Sometimes older adults are targeted by strangers who think they will be easier targets.
So, let’s keep our eyes open and help protect our older adults and Elders. After all, they have lived a long life and deserve to live safely and without fear of being abused by anyone. We as a whole need to protect the vulnerable people in our lives.