Joining Seniors and Housing Minister Josephine Pon for the launch of the strategy were Alberta Elder Abuse Awareness Council chair Shantel Ottenbreit, Stop Abuse in Families Society executive director Areni Kelleppan and Michele Markham, manager, Seniors Safe House, SAGE Seniors Association.
A new five-year strategy for preventing elder abuse was introduced last week by the province.
“A Collective Approach” will guide how non-profit organizations, front-line workers, businesses, individuals and governments will work together to prevent and reduce elder abuse.
The strategy includes an updated definition of elder abuse.
“Our seniors deserve to be cherished and respected members of the community,” Seniors and Housing Minister Josephine Pon said. “Sadly, this is not always the case.”
“All Albertans need to work together to stop elder abuse. Our new provincial strategy will help all of us recognize the signs of abuse and understand what action we can take to stop and report it.”
The strategy identifies opportunities to collaborate with partners, such as community organizations, front-line workers, law enforcement and the federal government.
The strategy has five goals:
- Improved awareness about what elder abuse is and how to prevent, identify and address it.
- Training for skilled service providers, including customized training for Indigenous communities, health professionals and housing providers.
- Co-ordinated community responses where communities and partners coordinate effectively to address elder abuse.
- Protective laws and policies to protect seniors and uphold their rights.
- Enhanced data, information sharing, research and evaluation to support strong policy and program responses, including awareness, prevention, early intervention and monitoring.
The Alberta Elder Abuse Awareness Council welcomed the new strategy.
“The strategy reflects Alberta’s growing senior population and the role that everyone has in preventing and addressing elder abuse,” council chair Shantel Ottenbreit said.
Elder abuse is now defined in the strategy as any intentional or reckless act or wilful and negligent disregard, occurring within a relationship of family, trust or dependency, directed at someone 65 years of age or older, that:
- Causes physical harm.
- Causes emotional or psychological harm.
- Involves the misappropriation or misuse of money or other personal possessions or personal or real property.
- Subjects an individual to non-consensual sexual contact, activity or behaviour, or fails to provide the necessities of life.
“A Collective Approach: Alberta’s strategy for preventing and addressing elder abuse” was developed with input from seniors, stakeholders and the public.
The most recent provincial elder abuse prevention strategy is more than 10 years old. Alberta’s seniors population has doubled to more than 700,000 seniors since it was developed.
Prior to 2020, it was estimated that nearly one in 10 Alberta seniors may be a victim of elder abuse — the highest percentage in Canada.
Rates of family violence, including elder abuse, tend to increase during, and following, natural disasters, public health crises and economic downturns.
