With World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2018 being recognized on June 15th it is the perfect time to shed light on this very serious world wide issue. The day came about as a result of UN resolution 66/127 and is celebrated on the same date each year.
With a growing global population of elderly people, and as longevity increases, abuse of the elderly is an increasing and serious problem that affects health and human rights and can cause death, so it is vital to raise awareness of it and thus prevent it whenever and wherever possible.
Elder abuse is global and comes in many forms including physical, emotional, sexual and financial abuse and also neglect. Elderly people are human and deserve the same dignity and respect as people of all other age groups.
Elderly people are particularly vulnerable to abuse and to being unable to defend themselves and get help as fear and infirmity can be major barriers to seeking and getting help, and sometimes spotting and challenging abuse in the elderly isn’t easy, some are isolated having outlived family and friends, and some are abused in institutions where abuse is not spotted or is covered up, and in some cases the elderly are not given priority by authorities in abuse matters.
It is our desire to raise awareness of elder abuse and prevent it, and on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, we work to highlight the danger of elder abuse and what can be done to prevent it and what to do if it is spotted.
Please see the attached information to help you be better informed and learn how to recognize and report Elder Abuse. We can make our community a safe place for our Seniors.