By Alessia Proietti

Most predominant: Financial abuse

Alberta Elder Abuse Awareness Council celebrates 20 years

Mar 4, 2022 | 1:16 PM

The old adage goes: respect your elders. But as the years go by, do some forget what this means?

Celebrating their 20^th anniversary as an organization this year, the Alberta Elder Abuse Awareness Council (AEAAC) has been an advocate in helping communities address the suppressed issue.

“I think it’s extremely important across the province, across the country, and across the world. This is not an issue specific to a region, this is not specific to a certain economic status, this is not to a specific culture,” said Joanne Blinco, AEAAC Case Management Coordinator. “If we don’t start talking about what’s happening, there is going to be that kind of silence.”

Currently there are approximately 700,000 Albertans over the age of 65, disproportionately larger than the population under the age of 15. Blinco estimates that roughly 1 in 10 seniors are experiencing abuse.

Abuse ranges from physical, psychological, sexual and emotional, to the most prevalent form of financial abuse.

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“I think of situations where sons or daughters may feel a sense of entitlement that they may say, ‘I’m getting this money anyway so I’m going to put a down payment on a house. I’m going to purchase a new vehicle’,” she said, describing other cases where the child may take their parents’ debit card for their own personal daily purchases.

In some instances, the family member has a mental illness, addiction, or is facing homelessness pushing them to move back in with their senior parents, leading to the abuse.

Other forms of abuse are neglect, such as when a family member takes the role of a caretaker but no longer fulfills the duties. A common sign is medication abuse when they either overmedicate the senior or take the medications for their personal benefit.

There are various barriers hindering seniors from coming forward, Blinco explains, causing under reporting of cases. Some are unaware of who to reach out to, while others hold a generational mentality that family issues should not be spoken about to others. The pandemic as well closed many of the resources that were once a safe haven for seniors.

Working as a child abuse social worker for 30 years, Blinco moved to elder abuse five years ago, first joining the AEAAC council as a board member. She is now the coordinator for a government grant that was allotted for 16 communities across the province to hire case managers handling elder abuse.

For preventative measures, Blinco urges seniors not only to reach out for help from the AEAAC or a case manager, but to also educate themselves on their finances as a means of empowerment. Chatting with banks, choosing a power of attorney that has their best interest at heart, attending workshops and most importantly, participating in intergenerational activities.

This trend, Blinco describes, allows young children and seniors to interact and learn from each other. It simultaneously teaches children from a young age that seniors bring a wealth of knowledge and should not be perceived as incapable.

“I think one of the biggest issues, is the issue of ageism. Some people, and not all obviously, when they see someone who’s older, they think of frailty, they think of not hearing, they think of the stereotype of someone who is older,” she said.

Blinco is happy to see the progress the organization has made over the past 20 years, beginning with just a few social workers in 2002, building the project voluntarily on their own time.

Last year, AEAAC launched a “Staying Safe Handbook” for older adults in Alberta. The organization has also partnered with CORE Alberta, an online resource center for seniors, creating educational presentations. They also launched “It’s Not Right: Neighbours, Friends and Family (INR)” as an on-going program for elder abuse awareness.

Blinco strives to build awareness not only to elder abuse but to changing the perception of seniors.

“We’ve got years of lived experience. We’ve got older adults who’ve been police officers for 35 years. Some of the older adults have raised their grandchild. Everybody comes with history and understanding and lived experience,” said Blinco.

“These are people who have created some of the foundational pieces in the land that we live in.”

The AEAAC is currently placing a public service announcement on Pattison Media radio stations in Medicine Hat.

For more information on elder abuse resources and information, visit the AEAAC website.