World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is celebrated to raise awareness against physical abuse, psychological or emotional abuse, sexual abuse, financial exploitation, neglect, or abandonment faced primarily by elders.
Elder abuse thrives in secrecy, isolation, and silence, making it everyone’s responsibility to stand up for the human rights of older adults. Awareness of elder abuse is one of the best ways to prevent it.
Elder abuse is a particular, or frequent action, or dearth of appropriate action, happening within any association or affiliation where there is an anticipation of faith, which foundations harm or distress to an older person.
The administration and officials worldwide delivered funding and helped to sustain a two-week social media campaign by seniors safety programs to raise awareness in communities.
Elder abuse can take numerous formulae of financial, emotional, psychological, physical, or sexual mistreatment.
It can also encompass neglect which means worsening pf association to deliver the requirements of life such as food, clothing, safe shelter, medical attention, or personal care.
Elder abuse occurs frequently but unfortunately a largely hidden problem that needs to be highlighted. The abuse is generally confronted by people aged 50+.
Seniors Minister Kelly Regan stated about elder abuse,
“We all may know someone experiencing abuse. Ageist attitudes and beliefs can cause people to treat older adults as if they are less important or valued. These attitudes allow people to believe they have a right to ignore, control or make decisions for an older adult. They do not. Your intervention can make a difference.“
June 15th is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day intended to increase awareness, and prevent elder abuse globally.
According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB),
“About 10 percent of Canadian seniors are victims of crime, with up to one percent of seniors experiencing violent crimes or physical abuse each year. Seniors could be facing neglect, financial abuse or exploitation, psychological or emotional abuse, and physical or sexual abuse, so it’s important to recognize the warning signs.”
The Global healthcare pandemic of Covid-19 has propelled many elders into remoteness and loneliness, away from friends and family. More than 2,000 reports of abuse against the senior population were reported in 2020 to the state’s Aging Services Division.
Older people seem to be more vulnerable to becoming victims of abuse due to physical and emotional vulnerability. One of the most common forms of abuse for the elderly population is scams.
Parrell D. Grossman, the Director of the Consumer Protection and Antitrust Division said,
“Seniors frequently are the victims of imposter scams that include computer technician scams, family emergency scams, romance scams, and then government imposter scams. Like pretending to be with the social security administration. All of which is, of course, false.”
There are symbols to express for recognizing Elder Abuse, like a change in personality or physical appearance to hide injuries.
The elderly population characteristically doesn’t accept or acknowledge such vulnerabilities or report swindles they confront because they are embarrassed or scared of Elder Abuse.
