Awareness key to protecting seniors from abuse, Saskatoon researcher says
Tuesday marks Elder Abuse Day and a local researcher says awareness is the biggest way to fight it.
Donna Goodridge studies elder abuse at the University of Saskatchewan. She also examines social isolation, an issue that she says is closely related to abuse of seniors.
Isolation can be linked to disability, cognitive impairment, mental illness and language barriers, she said.
Goodridge says the pandemic has increased the risk factors which lead to mistreatment seniors. Not being able to see family and friends as much over the past year has increased the potential for caregivers or family to abuse elders physically, mentally or financially.
“There’s a lot of things that can happen with people who perpetrate elder abuse and sometimes they have a variety of stresses including caregivers who have been pushed to the limit during COVID,” she said.
Financial stress during the pandemic as well as the current opioid crisis has resulted in seniors being taken advantage of financially she adds.
Because seniors come from a generation where personal feelings or mental struggles weren’t discussed, it creates increased potential for abuse, according to Goodridge.
“In the past people kept their private matters private and there was a hesitancy to look bad in front of other people, there wasn’t the openness to share that there is now.”
Talking about elder abuse is key, according to Goodridge, who hopes increased dialogue will protect more seniors now and into the future.
Goodridge says elder abuse must be reported by the victim, much like domestic abuse.
Elliot PausJenssen was a social worker in her professional life and now at 81, she is a volunteer with The Saskatoon Council on Aging.
She says if you suspect someone is a victim of elder abuse, it’s important to remember not to make accusations because that could make them reluctant to get the abuser in trouble.
PausJenssen says that often the abuse is at the hands of a family member and seniors don’t want to jeopardize the relationship with someone who takes care of them.
“It a matter of giving them an opportunity to tell their story in an environment that they feel safe in telling,” PausJenssen says.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.