Human Rights Don’t Get Old. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is June 15th, 2022.
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. This year’s theme is “human rights don’t get old.”
Some of the planned activities include*:
- Meal deliveries to isolated seniors
- Purple light displays (Canada Place, community halls, etc.) and the flying of purple flags
- Car parades, drive up events, and mini outdoor concerts
- Safety checks on mobility equipment
- Mass distribution of education and awareness resource items
- Online contests, games, and entertainment
- Photo contests
- Bench and plaque installations
- Virtual lunch & learns, wellness sessions, and information webinars
- Program presentations (including See Something, Say Something! Reducing Risk for Older Adults and It’s Not Right! Neighbours, Friends & Families for Older Adults presentations)
* View examples of previous CRN WEAAD events and activities from last year.
Join us by getting involved in prevention activities and celebrating older adults as active, vibrant members of the community. Below you find a variety of suggestions and resources for helping CRN’s promote WEAAD in their communities. Please select the hyperlinks to download the materials of your choosing (and feel free to edit any documents to best suit your needs).
How to get involved:
- Wear purple (BC CRN’s hallmark colour for WEAAD) on June 15th to show your support.
- Showcase the purple iris flower (BC CRN’s official symbol for WEAAD) as a representation of hope, wisdom, courage, faith, and admiration.
- Volunteer with your local CRN in a pandemic-safe WEAAD activity and advertise your event by using one of the flyer templates below:
- Download and utilize any of the social media and zoom image templates below to show your support:
- Facebook post (template 1)
- Facebook post (template 2)
- Facebook cover (template 1)
- Facebook cover (template 2)
- Twitter post (template 1)
- Twitter post (template 2)
- Twitter header (template 1)
- Twitter header (template 2)
- Zoom profile photo (template 1)
- Zoom profile photo (template 2)
- Zoom video background (template 1)
- Zoom video background (template 2)
- Download BC CRN’s press release template, and work with your organization to finalize it and send it to local news agencies or media outlets to create awareness surrounding your activity or event.
- Order free materials and resources to distribute within your community (order deadline: May 15, 2022).
- Encourage your local community to fly the purple WEAAD flag and either turn on or shine purple lights on public buildings.
- Download BC CRN’s proclamation letter templates to make a formal statement about the importance of WEAAD in your community (give yourself a month to work through the process).
- BC CRN is pleased to inform you that June 15, 2022 has been proclaimed World Elder Abuse Awareness Day in British Columbia (many thanks to Gabi Townsend – Victoria CRN).
- Post photos of your community’s WEAAD events and activities on social media using the hashtag #WEAAD2022 (be sure to tag @BCCRNS on your Facebook and Twitter posts)
- Utilize BC CRN’s consent form for any photos and stories you would like the Association to share in upcoming newsletters or social media campaigns.
Should you have any questions or comments, please email us any time for support.
