World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Information & Resources for CRN’s

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) is June 15th, 2024.

1 senior mistreated 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. 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.

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 workshops or presentations

The slogan for WEAAD this year is “bOLD: Age with Attitude”. 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:

Attend the National WEAAD webinar on June 12th starting at 9:30am PST (register here).
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.
Download a 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, 2024).
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 or a municipal proclamation template to make a formal statement about the importance of WEAAD in your community (give yourself a month to work through the process).
- View 2024 BC WEAAD proclamation
Download a WEAAD certificate of recognition to honour the outstanding contributions of others
Post photos of your community’s WEAAD events and activities on social media using the hashtags #BCCRNWEAAD2024 #WEAAD2024 #AgeWithAttitude (be sure to tag @BCCRNS on your Facebook 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.
Download and utilize the WEAAD materials and templates below (or request custom graphics/images by contacting info@bccrns.ca).