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World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
June 15, 2023
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is June 15th, 2023.
1 senior abused is 1 too many.
Unfortunately, when it comes to showing just how urgent a problem elder abuse is, the numbers don’t lie:
- 1 in 2 people are prejudiced against older people (Global Report on Ageism, World Health Organization)
- In Canada, a 2015 study estimated that 7.5% of Canadians 55 and older experienced abuse (Into the Light National Survey on the Mistreatment of Older Canadians, National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly, 2015)
- Women aged 55-64 years comprised the largest proportion of victims of femicide (19%) (Call it Femicide Report, Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability, 2020)
- In Ontario, there was a 250% increase in calls to the Seniors Safety Line in 2020 (Assaulted Women’s Help Line, 2021)
The basic human rights of older Canadians are being challenged and undercut every day. It is estimated that 1 in 6 seniors globally experience elder abuse. We, as a country, cannot allow this to continue.
Join the BC Association of Community Response Networks (BC CRN) this June 15th for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) to help create a national conversation around elder abuse prevention, and help spread awareness around what can be done to uphold and protect the rights of older adults in your community. BC CRN’s 80+ community response networks (CRNs) are currently planning activities and events geared towards spreading awareness around the province in anticipation of WEAAD.