Evidence of meeting #7 for Status of Women in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was seniors.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:25 p.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP Niki Ashton
I'm sorry, Ms. Bateman. That's the end of the five minutes. In fact, we've gone a few seconds over.
We'll go on to Ms. Borg.
5:25 p.m.
NDP
Charmaine Borg NDP Terrebonne—Blainville, QC
Thank you very much.
My question is for both of you, but in different ways.
I would like to know how this government can address the root causes that make seniors in cultural minorities and aboriginal seniors more vulnerable to abuse. Because I think it's important to address them differently, given that their realities are different. I'm thinking about poverty, among other things.
5:25 p.m.
Associate Professor, As an Individual
I would say the first thing that needs to be done is what we've said quite clearly, and I'm sure you've heard other testimony on it: that we don't know the incidence and prevalence of elder abuse in Canada. Along with that is gathering information on risk factors, protective factors. It is necessary to understand who's at risk for elder abuse, what places them at risk, and how you can effectively intervene. That goes for the entire Canadian population, plus some of the special populations that we've talked about. We need those kinds of measures to determine the extent and the nature of the problem in order to develop interventions to prevent the problem.
5:25 p.m.
NDP
5:25 p.m.
Executive Director, Native Women's Association of Canada
Yes, as we mentioned, and as research shows, there is a loss of culture and a loss of culturally appropriate services in the communities. Poverty is an issue. Education is an issue. All these things have to be addressed.
I've been involved for some 30 years in the field, and it was the same back in the 1970s as it is now. We're not making much headway. In fact, I would say that the rates of abuse and the rates of drug addiction are getting worse. There are more aboriginal people in jails.
I mean, where are we going with all of this? More victims...? Those problems are not addressed.
5:25 p.m.
NDP
Mylène Freeman NDP Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
Thank you.
I agree.
Ms. Walsh, given that senior care isn't currently considered a medically necessary thing, could we talk about the service-providing problems that are cross-culturally specific?
5:25 p.m.
Associate Professor, As an Individual
It's not really my area of expertise, but I would say we all recognize that the population is aging. With increasing age, especially of the very, very old, we will require more and more medical interventions. Those services need to be in place and they need to be in place in culturally appropriate ways for these specific communities.
As older people age, they often lose their ability to participate, particularly in their second language, and they go back to their indigenous languages. If we're not able to serve them, to go back to this topic, then they're more at risk for isolation and inability to access service, and it places them at more risk for abuse.
5:30 p.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP Niki Ashton
We're at the end of our scheduled time.
I'd like to thank our witnesses very much for joining us.
Ms. Claudette Dumont-Smith and Dr. Walsh, thank you very much.
We'll see everybody on Tuesday. Have a good weekend.
The meeting is adjourned.