Good morning.
My name is Deborah Rose, and I'm the executive director at the Edmonton Aboriginal Seniors Centre. We are an indigenous-led, community-based charitable organization that has served first nations, Métis and Inuit seniors in Edmonton since 1986.
Each year, we support more than 3,000 people through culturally grounded programming, wellness supports, housing advocacy and opportunities for connection and belonging. Our work is rooted in dignity, culture and community. Every day we walk alongside indigenous senior women, who are strong, resilient and deeply valued. However, they face increasing vulnerability.
I'm here today to share what I see at the ground level.
Indigenous senior women are experiencing multiple forms of abuse that often go unseen and unreported. We see financial abuse with families, in which seniors feel pressured to share their limited income with their children and extended families.
Many are living on fixed incomes, such as old age security and CPP, which are not keeping pace with the rising cost of living. We are seeing senior women skip meals to afford rent. We are seeing them give up grocery money to support family members. Way too often, they stay silent because of love, obligation and fear of losing those relationships.
Financial vulnerability is closely tied to isolation. Many indigenous senior women are living alone, disconnected from family or community and without access to culturally safe supports. This increases their risk of abuse and leaves them more vulnerable to scams.
Scams targeting seniors are becoming more aggressive and sophisticated. Many of the seniors we serve are not comfortable with technology and face language barriers. When they are targeted, they often do not report it because they feel shame or do not know where to turn.
At the same time, safe and affordable housing remains a critical issue. Many indigenous senior women are living in unstable and unsafe housing conditions. There is a serious lack of culturally appropriate housing in which they can feel secure, supported and connected to community.
These challenges are compounded by the lasting effects of migration and residential schools. Many indigenous seniors carry a deep mistrust of the system and do not feel safe accessing mainstream services. As a result, even when supports exist, they are often out of reach.
From a community leader's perspective, I want to be clear that indigenous-led, community-based organizations are doing this work. However, they are doing it with limited, short-term funding that does not match the scale of need.
We need a shift.
First, we need increased and targeted federal income support for senior women, especially those living alone. No senior should have to choose between food and housing.
Second, we need to sustain investment in indigenous-led organizations to deliver elder abuse prevention, financial literacy and scam awareness programming in culturally relevant and accessible ways.
Third, we need safe pathways for reporting abuse that do not rely solely on policing but are rooted in community trust and support.
Fourth, we must invest in culturally grounded indigenous seniors housing. At the Edmonton Aboriginal Seniors Centre, we are working towards a model that combines housing and a community hub, in which senior women can access programming, meals, cultural connection and support all in one place.
Finally, we must address food insecurity as part of financial vulnerability. Through our nourishing our elders initiative, we see first-hand how access to healthy and culturally appropriate food reduces stress, improves health and strengthens independence.