Older Adults Abuse Task Force
World Older Adult Abuse Awareness Day was June 15, 2010.
WOAAAD Workshop was on June 17, 2010. Our theme this year was Older Adult Abuse: A Call to Action Laws alone don't make people safe... caring communities do.
Our keynote speaker was Alison Leaney, Executive Director of the BC Association of Community Response Networks. There was also a panel of Saskatoon organizations talking about "A Saskatoon Response".
The Task Force is a committee of the Saskatoon Council on Aging. The committee came together at the invitation of the Council in 2005. Since that time, members have focused on advocating for policy for seniors that will support efforts against older adult abuse and to use all opportunities to raise awareness of the issue of older adult abuse.
According to the World Health Organization, abuse is defined as “single or repeated acts or lack of appropriate action, occurring within a relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person” (WHO, 2002). The committee recognizes that older adult abuse is very broad and complex, and that any remedial initiatives will require raising levels of awareness in the public, and/or a considerable degree of public education.
The committee is dedicated to advancing any initiative, which will have the result of reducing or eliminating any type of older adult abuse in the community. The committee recognizes that there may be some aspects of abuse, which for a number of reasons present themselves as more amenable to improvement than others, and is prepared to pursue those issues as stepping stones to a more general improvement.
