World Elder Abuse Awareness Day marked in downtown Calgary
Posted Jun 15, 2016 3:45 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Seniors are in the spotlight here in Calgary and around the world for Elder Abuse Awareness Day.
9,000 seniors are affected by the crime according to Statistics Canada but it’s also estimated that only 20 per cent of abuses are reported.
CPS Deputy Chief Trevor Daroux said that there’s also been an increase here in the city.
“Part of that can be explained by saying ‘maybe there’s an increase in reporting’,” Daroux said. “But we also know the same issues, the same stresses: unemployment, some of the issues around the economy impact violent crime, impact domestic violence. It also impacts the elder abuse situation.”
Most elder abuse involves family members and Daroux said increasing awareness about the problem is critical to solving it.
Luanne Whitmarsh, CEO of the Kerby Centre, hopes more people pay attention to elder abuse.
“Elber abuse is coming out of the shadows. It’s so important that people talk about it. Make sure that we’re comfortable, that we’re not hiding behind fake glasses, that we just really have a conversation about this so that everybody learns that it’s okay to be safe, it’s your right to be safe, and darn it, we’re going to make you safe,” Whitmarsh said.
