Preventing Elder Abuse
Abuse and neglect are complex issues that require the experience and concern of many people and organizations to be effectively addressed. A Canadian study in 2022 found that 10% of older adults will experience some type of abuse or neglect each year. The City of Brantford and County of Brant have approximately 27,000 adults over the age of 65, which is its fastest growing age group within the region. Given what we know from research, we can estimate that between 2,000 and 3,000 older adults have experienced or are experiencing elder abuse locally every year.
Definitions of Abuse
The following definitions of abuse are provided by Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario (EAPO)to help you to understand the difference between the most prevalent types of Elder Abuse:
| Physical Abuse |
| Physical abuse is any act of violence or rough handling that may or may not result in physical injury but causes physical discomfort or pain. |
| Financial Abuse |
| Financial abuse is defined as any improper conduct, done with or without the informed consent of the older adult that results in a monetary or personal gain to the abuser and/or a monetary or personal loss to the senior. |
| Neglect |
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Neglect is not meeting the basic needs of the older person.
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| Emotional or Psychological Abuse |
| Emotional or Psychological abuse is any action, verbal or nonverbal, that lessens a person’s sense of identity, dignity and self-worth. |
| Sexual Abuse |
| Sexual abuse includes any unwanted sexual touching, remarks or coercing a person through force, trickery or threats into sexual activity without their consent. Sexual abuse includes inducing sexual activity with a person who is not mentally capable of giving active informed consent throughout the entire duration of the sexual activity. |
Community Contacts
There are a number of local and provincial organizations available to assist you if you are experiencing elder abuse, think you may be experiencing elder abuse, or are looking to make connections in our local community.
| Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario (EAPO) |
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Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario (EAPO) is the provincial organization that leads awareness on Elder Abuse through resources and supports across Ontario, workshops and webinars, seniors’ safety line, and case management as requested. They can be reach at 416-916-5728 or via email. |
| Grand River Council on Aging |
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The Grand River Council on Aging, located at 363 Colborne St, Brantford, connects and informs the City’s aging population through educational presentations, building connections in the community, and providing volunteer opportunities to increase social participation. They can be reached at 519-754-0777 ext. 438 or via email at admin@grcoa.ca. |
| Indigenous Victim Services |
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Indigenous Victim Services, located at 1721 Chiefswood Rd, Iroquois Plaza, Oshweken, assists and advocates for indigenous victims who are located in Brantford, Hamilton or the Six Nations community. They provide short-term counselling, safety planning, court support, reporting services, information, and referrals to other community programs and organizations as needed. They can be reached at 1-866-964-5920 or via email at ivsmanager@sixnations.ca. Please call 1-866-445-2204 during after hours. |
| Victim Services of Brant |
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Victim Services of Brant, located at 344 Elgin St, Brantford, provides reporting services, educational Elder Abuse prevention workshops to the community and senior serving organizations, as well as information and referrals to other community programs and organizations as needed. They can be reached at 519-752-3140 or via email at vsb@victimservicesbrant.on.ca. Please contact the Brantford Police Services for after-hours services. |
Let's Stay Informed Series
The City, in partnership with Victim Services Brant and Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario, invited the community to attend the Let’s Stay Informed series. The series included four presentations that took place via Zoom between December 2022 and February 2023 to assist the community on staying informed about elder abuse and provide increased access to resources and support. This program was funded in part by the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program.
| Protecting Yourself and Your Loved Ones against Financial Abuse |
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Join Mary Shkoury from Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario via Zoom as she presents an overview of financial abuse and the types of abuse, including power of attorney, tactics used to take advantage of older adults, and a list of supports/resources for help and reporting. |
| Elder Abuse Service Provider Protocol Training |
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Victim Services of Brant presents how to take steps and actions when elder abuse or neglect is suspected or identified, including understanding how to support the elderly and their caregivers and aiding in the development of a plan to prevent harm. |
| Understanding Ones Rights as a Senior, to Protect and Prevent Against Ageism |
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Join Mary Shkoury from Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario as she presents an overview of ageism, including its definition and examples. Through discussion questions and an open dialogue - the link between ageism, abuse and the rights of older adults are explored. There are also tips on speaking out against ageism and resources for supports available to all participants. |
| Understanding Financial Abuse and Power of Attorney’s Through Story Telling |
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Join Mary Shkoury from Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario as she discusses how to recognize the most common form of elder abuse, including financial abuse, powers of attorney, and tactics most commonly used to take advantage of older adults. |
Brant Elder Abuse Service Provider Protocol
The Brant Elder Abuse Service Provider Protocol provides important information on how to assist when elder abuse is suspected in the City of Brantford and County of Brant. A protocol supports work in the community to create a coordinated response to adult abuse, neglect by:
- including everyone in the community who wants to be involved;
- raising community awareness and developing protocols among members about how organizations or agencies will respond when an elder needs help;
- keeping track of how the response is working; and
- working towards prevention
For more information on Elder Abuse and program materials, please contact Victim Services of Brant.
Senior’s Toolkit
The Senior's Toolkit, A Practical Handbook for Seniors provides information about various agencies and service providers that help senior residents in the City of Brantford and County of Brant.
If you require this document in an accessible format, please call the City at 519-759-4150.
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