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September 18, 2009
Abuse is a cause for concern
Statistics show that the elderly are often victimized by loved ones.
DENA DAWSON
Would you like to guess who abuses older people? Telephone scam artists? True. Door-to-door fake salesmen? Also true. But who makes up the bulk of abusers? Family. Family is responsible for 60 percent of all incidences of elder abuse.
On Sept. 10, the Jewish Seniors Alliance (JSA) along with the B.C. Centre for Elder Advocacy and Support (BCCEAS), held a community forum on elder abuse at Congregation Beth Israel. There were more than 120 people in attendance, women outnumbering men by about three to one.
The panel included moderator Joan Braun, executive director of BCCEAS; Laura Watts, national director, Canadian Centre for Elder Law; Charmaine Spencer, research associate, Gerontology Research Centre and adjunct professor in the department of gerontology, Simon Fraser University; Shelley Rivkin, associate executive director, community affairs, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver; Marnie Stickley, family services outreach worker, Elder Abuse Team, Vancouver Police Department; and Amanda Brown, director, Re:Act Adult Abuse and Neglect Response Resource, Vancouver Coastal Health.
This forum took over a year to organize, with the help of many volunteers, all of whom were acknowledged by JSA president Serge Haber. To begin the forum, those gathered were asked to watch the first half of a video, Finding a Return for Ellen. After watching the this segment, each panelist was asked to identify what their agency could do and whether the situation was typical of those they encounter professionally.
In the video, Ellen falls and injures herself and ends up at her daughter's home a few hundred kilometres from her own. The daughter throws a sandwich at her and complains about how busy she is. We find out that the daughter has power of attorney and had previously tried to put Ellen in an institution. When a banker calls, we learn that Ellen's savings account is empty and that the daughter has sold her house. It is clear that Ellen is isolated. Ellen demands her money back and says she wants to go home. They quarrel about whose money it is. The video ends with a positive outcome for Ellen, who gets support from a community counselor.
BCCEAS gets 200 calls about elder abuse monthly and 60 percent are directly related to financial abuse. Other panelists outlined a Coastal Health response, a legal response, police responses and community service responses. Rivkin noted that the Jewish community's incidence of adult abuse is the same as in the general population. The response, however, may be slower in coming, possibly because some victims have been through the Holocaust or have experienced anti-Semitism and don't want to go public with such problems, she said.
There are a number of supports in the community for victims of elder abuse. BCCEAS has a helpline and can provide legal information. The police department works in the community and can also provide information on support options, one of which includes a "peace bond" that keeps the son or daughter out of jail if the prospect is keeping an elderly parent from moving forward with charges.
Audience members were concerned about how to distinguish between neglect and abuse, as well as how to increase social connections for the elderly. Walker reminded the audience that there have been deep cuts in programs for seniors and she asked, "Where are the voices for seniors? Call your representative and yell really loudly." The key, the panel agreed, is to keep the elderly from being isolated and to listen and validate their concerns.
Dena Dawson is a freelance writer, and no spring chicken.
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