Resources on the Abuse of Older Adults

Introduction

Over the past year, the NWT Seniors’ Society has collected a significant amount of information on the abuse of older adults. Whether it relates to legislative frameworks in various provinces and territories, prevention strategies, intervention tools and approaches, training curricula or ways and means to raise awareness and get information out about abuse of older adults, the Society has made note of it and referenced it here on this site. The latest documents the Society has produced on the issue also appear below. Please click on the documents listed below for easy access:

Three documents that the Building Networks Phase I Research Report noted as particularly useful resources to address the abuse of older adults in the Northwest Territories are included here for quick reference. Click on the following to access the documents:

Lutra Associates Ltd. (2005). Best Practices for Stopping Abuse of Older Adults in the NWT . Social Development Canada.
Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (CNPEA). (2007). Outlook 2007: Promising Approaches in the Prevention of Abuse and Neglect of Older Adults in Community Settings in Canada.
Leaney, Alison, G. Martin, and A. Struthers. (2009). Promising Approaches for Addressing/ Preventing Abuse of Older Adults in First Nations Communities: A Critical Analysis and Environmental Scan Of Tools and Approaches. BC Association of Community Response Networks. http://www.bccrns.ca/resources.php

Access to Regular Information: Did you know that you can have access to information an elder abuse on a regular basis through Google Alert? If you want to have these alerts automatically delivered to you via email on a regular basis go to www.google.com/alerts and then follow the prompts.

Information on Intergenerational Resources: If you are interested in learning more about bringing together young people and seniors, you might want to check this resource out at www.intergenerational.ca/resources/teen-kit.html

Also, check out www.intergenerational.ca/images/stories/pdfs/AcrossGenerationsEnglish.pdf

2012 Update

Report Documents

Tools and Resources to Address Abuse of Older Adults - Living document
Terms or Reference - March 22, 2012

Power point presentations

Meeting Minutes

General Information on Abuse of Older Adults:

It’s Not Right! Neighbours, Friends and Families for Older Adults – How you can Identify Abuse and Help Older Adults at Risk. This presentation may be of interest to anyone who is concerned about the abuse of older adults, how to identify abuse and what to do about it when you see it. For more information please check: http://www.neighboursfriendsandfamilies.ca/

Aboriginal Elder Abuse in Canada, Aboriginal Healing Foundation, Claudette Dumont-Smith (2002) www.ahf.ca

Aboriginal Domestic Violence in Canada, Aboriginal Healing Foundation (2003) www.ahf.ca

Elder Abuse Resource Manual, Action Committee Against Violence, Calgary, Alberta

British Columbia Ministry of Health Library – resources, reference materials, books articles on the abuse of older adults

Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse – A national network of volunteers that is focused on the eradication of abuse of older adults in Canada . It has wide collection of literature and information on all aspect of abuse of older adults in Canada and throughout the world – www.cnpea.ca

Coalition Against Family Violence NWT, Please refer to the website of the Status of Women Council of the NWT which has information and materials about family violence in general and abuse of older adults in particular (see information on Family Violence Awareness Week 3-9, 2010 which had an older adult abuse focus). www.statusofwomen.nt.ca

Report of the National Seniors Council on Elder Abuse, National Seniors Council (November 2007) http://www.seniorscouncil.gc.ca/eng/research_publications/index.shtml

Taking Action on Elder Abuse - Final Report, A document prepared by the NWT Seniors’ Society in 2001

Websites that may be useful on a range of abuse of older adults issues

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/elder_abuse_physical_emotional_sexual_neglect.htm Help Guide that addresses health issues including the abuse of older adults.
http://www.seniors.gc.ca/c.4nt.2nt3col@.jsp?cid=161 Government of Canada site on Seniors Issues – information and materials on the abuse of older adults.
http://www.hlthss.gov.nt.ca/english/services/family_violence/default.htm GNWT site that has information on Family Violence including the abuse of older adults.
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ncfv-cnivf/index-eng.php Public Health Agency of Canada – information on violence/abuse and on funding sources to address such issues.
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ncfv-cnivf/age-eng.php Public Health Agency of Canada – Information and materials on Elder Abuse.
http://www.albertaelderabuse.ca/index.cfm Alberta Abuse Awareness Network – info on the abuse of older adults.
http://www.oaknet.ca/?q=node/50 Oak-Net – Older Adult Knowledge Network – How Canadian Law protects and affects Older Adults.
http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthfiles/httoc.stm#E Health Link BC – Has information on older adults abuse.
http://www.seniorscouncil.net/uploads/files/For_Service_Providers/Portrait%20of%20Seniors%20Feb.%202007.pdf A F/P/T document on what works and why in addressing the abuse of older adults across Canada (2003).
http://www.seniorscouncil.net/recognizing-elder-abuse Linking Seniors in Edmonton Alberta – has info on the abuse of older adults.
http://www.statusofwomen.nt.ca/resources.htm The Status of Women Council of the NWT has information and resources on the abuse of older adults.

Promising Approaches/Practice

Community Response Networks Development, The BC Association of Community response Networks has information on how to establish and maintain support networks based on their involvement in establishing such community networks throughout BC over the past few years. www.bccrns.ca

Elements of an Ideal Coordinated Approach to Abuse of Older Adults (Draft), BC Association of Community Response Networks (October 2010) www.bccrns.ca

National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly (NICE) Through NICE, you can access information on promising approaches to address abuse of older adults. www.nicenet.ca

Outlook 2007: Promising Approaches in the Prevention of Abuse and Neglect of Older Adults in Community Settings in Canada (CNPEA, 2007)

Promising Approaches for Addressing Abuse of Adults in First Nation Communities in Canada, BC Association of Community Response Networks (2009) www.bccrns.ca

Training

Creating Awareness through Drama, Oshawa Senior Citizens Centers (includes DVD/Training Binder/Kit). www.oscc.ca

Overview of Elder Abuse: Play – The one Abuse nobody Sees, Ontario Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (DVD Training and Play Script) www.onpea.org

Silent & Invisible: What’s age got to do with it? A handbook for service providers on working with abused older women in British Columbia and Yukon. A DVD comes with the resource book. Available from the BC/Yukon Society of Transition Houses, Vancouver, BC; 2002. www.bcsth.ca

Canadian Centre for Elder Law – resources that specifically address the elder abuse information needs of volunteers www.bearpawmedia.ca

Intervention and Intervention Strategies and Tools

An Elder Abuse Resource and Interventions Guide – Available through the Council on Aging of Ottawa, Ottawa-Carleton, Ontario www.coaottawa.ca

Being Least Intrusive (BLI) – An Orientation to Practice for Front Line Workers in Responding to Situations of Abuse and Neglect of Vulnerable First Nations Adults. National Institute for the Care of the Elderly (NICE) www.nicenet.ca

Seniors and Elders Deserve Respect – Don’t Put Up with Abuse - A booklet on Protection Orders & Emergency Protection Orders. Government of the Northwest Territories, Department of Justice www.justice.gov.nt.ca

Prevention Strategies

Abuse Hurts at any Age – Together we can Prevent Abuse of Older Adults – An information package for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (June 15 each year). Available by contacting the NWT Seniors' Society.

Promising Approaches for Addressing/Preventing Abuse of Older Adults in First Nation Communities (December 2009): A critical analysis and environmental scan of tools and approaches.

Developing Protocols

Abuse of the Elderly: A Guide to the Development of Protocols – prepared by the Interdepartmental Working Group on Elder Abuse & Manitoba Seniors Directorate (1993). Available through the Manitoba Seniors Directorate www.gov.mb.ca/shas

Yellowknife Family Violence Protocol (2011). Please click here to see the protocol and tools. For more information about the protocol and its development please contact Consultant, Family and Child Violence Protection, Prevention Services Department of Health and Social Services GNWT Telephone: (867) 873-7918 or website: www.hlthss.gov.nt.ca

Raising Awareness/Community Responses

Bridges Between the Generations – The report from the Bridging the gap Conference on the Abuse of Older Adults (NWT Seniors’ Society, January 2006)

Community Awareness and Response: Abuse and neglect of older adults (2001) Available through the National Clearing House on Family Violence. www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/nc-cn

Notes from a Workshop on Elder Abuse, Inuvik, NT (June 2009)

Strategic Plans to Address Elder Abuse

Addressing Elder Abuse in Alberta (November 2010) Government of Alberta

A Plan for Action - Respect our Elders/Stop the Abuse! This is the document that has guided the NWT Seniors’ Society since 2004 in its efforts to eliminate abuse of older adults in the NWT.

Taking Action Against Violence 2006-2012 Government of Newfoundland & Labrador

The Nova Scotia Elder Abuse Strategy: Towards Awareness and Prevention (November 2005) Government of Nova Scotia www.gov.ns.ca/seniors/elder_abuse_strategy.asp

Provincial Elder Abuse Strategy (2002) Government of Manitoba www.gov.mb.ca/shas/elder_abuse/provincial.html

The Law & Legislative Frameworks to Address Elder Abuse:

Adult Protection and the Elder Abuse – A document prepared by the Government of Manitoba, Department of Justice and the Law Foundation of Manitoba www.gov.mb.ca/justice/mlrc/reports/103.pdf

A list of Legislative Frameworks regarding Older Adult Protection by Province/Territory

Canadian Centre for Elder Law - this website has a range of publications and resources relating to issues of law pertinent to older adults including abuse of older adults. www.bcli.org/ccel/publications

Developing a Coherent Approach to the Law as it Affects Older Adults. www.lco-cdo.org/en/content/publications

Financial Abuse:

British Columbia Coalition to Eliminate Abuse of Seniors: Order form and pamphlet for training kit on Financial Abuse, Money Matters for Seniors – how to protect your money, property and independence (package contains DVD, Facilitators Guide, Training Manual & Resource Materials) http://www.povnet.org/node/2288 or http://www.bcceas.ca

Government of Alberta: Financial Abuse of Seniors – Information Sheet and more www.seniors.alberta.ca/services_resources/elderabuse

Government of Alberta: It’s your Money: Protect yourself from Financial Abuse – an information sheet on financial abuse of older adults www.seniors.alberta.ca/services_resources/elderabuse

Government of the NWT, Department of Health and Social Services, Together we can Stop Elder Abuse Campaign (2010 /2011) Information and materials about this campaign on Financial Abuse is on their website.

DVD’s/Videos:

Videos in the Status of Women Council NWT library that may be of interest/use – see http://www.statusofwomen.nt.ca/resources.htm - here are a couple of examples:

A House Divided English/NFB/1988/35 minutes/Guide - A video dealing with elder abuse. Through four personal portraits, this video documents the emotional complexity of family relationships that can lead to elder abuse, the anguish and isolation of the victims, and the need for community support.

A Lifetime of Caring English/Kinetic Video/25 min.- This video and lesson guide present ways in which friends, families and communities can provide better care for seniors. It looks at difficult issues facing aboriginal elders and ways of providing high quality care to them. The video is designed for health professionals, aboriginal elders, hospitals, and groups wanting to improve the quality of life for aboriginal seniors.

On YouTube:

YouTube has an assortment of clips on the abuse of older adults. Here are a few to get started. You may find that some clips are no longer available. However, you will find lots more when you get to the YouTube site.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8oezzvIOOA&feature=related This one is about robbery of an older adult in a hospital
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoY7EI_qPQE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWUtywfwsMw&feature=related not about older abuse but very powerful message
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cauXgZhROM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK68eJH7HSc&feature=related financial abuse and scams on older adults
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeKOy7IjmJY&feature=related financial abuse

Other Related information:

Personal Directives – Pamphlet and CD on Personal Directives from the Government of the Northwest Territories, Department of Health & Social Services. www.hlthss.gov.nt.ca

Wills – Information on creating or amending wills can be found on the Government of the Northwest Territories, Department of Justice Website www.justice.gov.nt.ca

Guardianship – Information on Guardianship is found on the GNWT Department of health and Social Services website www.hlthss.gov.nt.ca

Trusteeship – Information on Trusteeship is found on the GNWT Department of Justice website www.justice.gov.nt.ca

A book that may be of interest available through the public library is Male Victims of Elder Abuse.