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Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse
Réseau canadien pour la prévention des mauvais traitements envers les aîné(e)s |
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The Role of Seniors
Seniors as Leaders, Educators, Counsellors, and Community Developers
Canada has moved a long way in the past decade in recognizing the diverse roles that older adults can play in framing, identifying, and addressing abuse issues in later life. In the beginning, older adults were often uncertain and cautious about discussing the issue of abuse, and in some communities, they were excluded from discussions about seniors' needs. Now they are often issue leaders. They may carry on important roles on
 | boards of organizations dealing with different aspects of abuse, |
| committees that are addressing the issue in the community. |
The important role of seniors as volunteers or paid staff on community projects related to abuse or neglect or other aging related issues can never be minimized.
Seniors as Public Educators
One of the very important roles that individual seniors and senior groups have taken on is to educate other seniors and the rest of the general public about abuse issues in later life. In Newfoundland, for example, the Seniors Resource Centre has developed "Seniors Speak About…"
Several Canadian communities use theatre as an education approach, particularly drawing on seniors as actors for addressing socially difficult topics. For example, this approach has been used by Target Theatre in Victoria, BC and Sage Age Players in Peterborough, ON. Using improvisational theatre, the Sage Age Player's troupe highlights and resolves the concerns and problems of seniors, including mother-daughter relationships and substance use problems.
Sometimes seniors' theatre groups will present issues to school children and teenagers to strengthen the connections between generations.
In Toronto, ON, Health Action Theatre for Seniors (HATS) uses mime and interactive theatre as a way of communicating with diverse audiences in a culturally sensitive and participatory way. The HATS website provides an online manual and an interactive demo to help other communities learn how they might also use this approach.
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Third Age Centre in Fredericton, New Brunswick in 1998 developed the "Senior Educators Enhancing Community Safety” project to reduce fear of crime, particularly among women and seniors. The aim was to increase public awareness of elder abuse and mobilize communities to prevent these incidents. They used a “Seniors train the trainers” series of abuse prevention workshops.
In Quebec, La FADOQ – Mouvement des Aînés du Québec emphasizes that one of the keys to resolving problems of violence and the exploitation of seniors to raise the social consciousness of the problem to the greatest number of people, including older adults themselves. As part of that it is necessary it is important to help the general public understand that these problems are unacceptable, just as in the case of marital violence and child abuse. Emphasizing the need for seniors to know their rights, a FADOQ representative jointly presents with a police officer to community groups, focussing on educating people about the issues and the availability of existing services.
Seniors as a Support to Each Other:
A. Peer Support/ Peer Advocacy
Seniors sometimes find it easier to talk with someone close to their own age who is trained, empathetic, non-judgmental, and a good listener about the things they are experiencing in later life, including abuse or neglect. Peer counsellors play an important role for preventing and addressing senior abuse, by knowing the community resources and knowing how to appropriately respond.
What do peer counsellors do? They can help individuals recognize that
| they are not alone, |
| the challenges that the person is facing is more than people might think, |
| abuse is an important issue affecting a person's wellbeing in later life, |
| they do not have to live with abuse and they do have alternatives. |
Peer counsellors can provide information on how to cope, or where to seek help. They do not tell the person what to do. They also respect the person's decision and keep information confidential, unless the law requires them to report the situation.
They are often involved after an immediate crisis has passed, when the abused person needs a supportive person to help them through the emotional aftermath.
Peer counsellors do not work alone. They have the ongoing support of a sponsoring organization and a volunteer coordinator who help them
| assure the senior's and their own safety, |
| identify their personal boundaries, and |
| know when they need additional support. |
Some examples of Peer Counselling/ Peer Advocate programs include those operated through
| the Seniors Resource Centre of Newfoundland and Labrador in St. John's, NF; and |
| Chilliwack Senior Peer Counsellors in Chilliwack, BC. |
Research on the potential use of seniors as peer counsellors has been conducted in 2002 for rural Nova Scotia and in 1998 by the British Columbia (411 Seniors Society).
B. Older Women Long Term Survival Society (OWLS)
Personal experience with abuse earlier in life can continue to have a significant impact on an older woman’s wellbeing in later life. OWLS is a mutual help support group, in Calgary, Alberta. In operation for over ten years, it may be the oldest group of its kind in North America.
In 2000, OWLS staff worked with Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter Association to build awareness and skills for shelter staff in working with older women.
References and Resources
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Seniors Resource Centre "Independence through information: Peer Advocacy for Seniors" Final report for the Canadian Rural Partnership Project, January 1, 2002 - March 31, 2003 www.seniorsresource.ca/docs/RuralPartnership.pdf |
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Sage Age Players Peterborough - For more information call Anne McLeod at (705) 743-1000 or Mrs. Potter (705) 749-6918. |
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Target Theatre: See: www.islandnet.com/target/ |
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P. McKinley, D. Parsons, & C. Meunier. Older Adults and Peer Counseling in Elder Abuse: Exploring Incentives and Barriers to Participation In Rural Nova Scotia Ontario Elder Abuse Conference Proceedings. |
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Edmonton Seniors Safe Housing (Phone: 780-702-1520); Senior Abuse Help Line (Edmonton) 780-454-8888. |
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See BC Community Response Networks for seniors as partners
in community development. www.bccrns.ca |
International
| Play tackles elderly abuse, BBC Online, November 11, 2003. www.globalaging.org/elderrights/world/aplay.htm |
Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse. Page last updated Friday April 24, 2009
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