Community partners have had their first meeting of the year as they try to spread the word about elder abuse
Oxford County Elder Abuse Network has had their first meeting of the year, and they are hoping to bring more awareness to the issue in 2016.
The Woodstock Police are one of the community partners involved in the initiative and Constable Nikki VanLeeuwen says of the reports they do receive they notice a troubling trend. "The biggest one would be financial abuse and that is caregivers, family members, sometimes friends, sometimes in retirement homes we get calls from people where they've had money stolen or are being intimidated."
VanLeeuwen says in an attempt to curb elder abuse the police are trying to get the word out to more seniors so they know there is help out there when they need it. "Our department specifically, we've been going into retirement homes and handing out education materials, speaking to people, having coffee with elderly people. Just having the discussion and lowering the stigma around abuse so people are feeling more comfortable talking about it and coming forward and reporting it."
Although there is a lot of information online, VanLeeuwen says she has noticed many of the elderly people she's met with are not online. "Even if you call the police station we can give you information. They may not necessarily want to report things as a crime but even if they want some supports for themselves outside of an investigation they can call Elder Abuse Ontario and chat with people there that can support them."
Elder Abuse Ontario can be found online HERE. They can also be reached at 1-866-299-1011
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