Thank you for inviting the Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse to speak today. We commend the committee for its decision to develop a study on elder abuse.
As mentioned, a few months into the pandemic, our country witnessed horrifying accounts of abuse and neglect in many long-term care homes. Two reports that were published recently documented the appalling conditions that residents endured. Outside of long-term care homes, older Canadians have also borne the brunt of this pandemic through deaths, social isolation and decreased quality of life.
This year brought ageism and elder abuse to the forefront. Elder abuse was rampant in our communities long before COVID, and the abuse is not limited to long-term care settings. Elder abuse has been a silent pandemic for years. From a 2015 national study, we learned that the prevalence rate of mistreatment was 8.2% among Canadians age 55 and over. That’s over 750,000 Canadians. Mistreatment includes physical, emotional, sexual and financial abuse, systemic abuse, neglect and the violation of rights and freedoms, such as interfering with spiritual practices, denying privacy or preventing visitors.
CNPEA is one of the many voices calling for this issue to be recognized and addressed at the federal, provincial, territorial and local levels, with an emphasis on prevention and early detection through a collective and sustained effort. Like domestic violence, elder abuse is a complex issue that requires nuanced responses because older Canadians are not a homogenous group. Layers of identity such as gender, race, sexual orientation, economic standing and disability have a direct impact on a person’s risk of victimization, their ability to report and to access adequate services and justice.
If we're serious about tackling elder abuse, we need to start by confronting ageism. By the World Health Organization’s definition, “Ageism arises when age is used to categorize and divide people in ways that lead to harm, disadvantage, and injustice.”
Ageism is rarely recognized as the violation of human rights it is. Little by little, it dehumanizes older persons. From jokes about “senior moments” to referencing a “silver tsunami”, it’s a quick slide to debating whether some lives are worth more than others during a pandemic. Ageism and how we think, or don't think, about older people has a drastic impact on the quality of the care and services that we receive as we get older. Ageism negatively impacts a person’s quality of life and increases social isolation and loneliness, which are high risk factors for elder abuse.
The World Health Organization and the United Nations emphasize the importance of age-friendly communities. A supportive, age-inclusive community that promotes health, safety and well-being across the life course leaves less room for abuse and violence to breed.
We're currently leading a project with a group of partners to develop a pan-Canadian road map to increase the prevention of elder abuse. Thanks to funding from the Department of Justice victims fund, we will develop a guide with multiple entry points, which will allow each of us, at an individual, organizational or governmental level, to play a role in preventing elder abuse.
Our consultations point to a collaborative approach as a meaningful tool to support older people. We hope to foster coordinated community response mechanisms and integrated teams that will connect policing, community, social and health services. Building bridges through training that promote trauma-informed principles and focus on equity can help address additional barriers to safety that are facing underserved seniors such as older women, especially older women of colour, indigenous and LGBTQ+ seniors.
Canada has shown increasing leadership in its approach to tackling gender-based violence. It's time to turn our attention to the needs of older citizens facing life-threatening abusive situations. This means providing adequate support and resources for research, direct services and public education across Canada. Supporting innovative research at the federal level would help address our knowledge gaps and propel the development of future policies and best practices.
The sector of elder abuse prevention is a fragmented one. Not all provinces and territories have a dedicated organization or network, and funding varies between jurisdictions. The results are disparities in prevention and response capacity. A well-resourced infrastructure would support an efficient, coordinated approach to detection, prevention and response. With the right support from the Government of Canada, existing practice and knowledge communities could work in unison, ensuring that we can all age in health and safety, with our rights protected and respected.
Thank you very much.