The cityÂ?s Priorities Committee heard elder abuse remains a mainly hidden secretÂ?and crimeÂ?in this community and all across Canada.
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However, through public education and raising awareness, Greater Sudbury Police and community leaders hope to reduce this horrific societal problem.
Const. Nicky Lekun, full-time seniors liaison officer with Greater Sudbury Police, made a presentation to city councillors Wednesday at the regular Priorities Committee and received heartfelt support for her efforts to reduce elder abuse.
Â?Elder abuse is defined as any act that harms or threatens to harm the health or well-being of an older adult,Â? said Lekun. Â?It is complex, under reported and a growing community concernÂ?my goal is to eliminate the fact it remains under reported.Â?
Elder abuse is a particularly troubling problem across the City of Greater Sudbury because we have such a large proportion of seniors (about 20 per cent are over age 60) and a larger proportion who will become seniors in the next 15 years, said Lekun.
Elder abuse comes in many forms, the most common being physical, financial and psychological abuse, she said.
The most frightening statistic about elder abuse is research and literature clearly indicates Â?90 per cent of elder abuse is committed by family members,Â?said Lekun.
Any sexual misconduct against older adults, roughing them up in a physical way or over or under medicating them are different forms of elder abuse, she said.
Often caregivers feel overwhelmed when put in the position to care for a senior, but resorting to elder abuse is simply not acceptable and against the law, she said.
Â?ItÂ?s a very stressful place to be when you are the caregiver of an older adult.Â?
Any act of forcibly confining someone or not properly dispensing medication as a form of punishment is not acceptable and again against the law, she said.
Financial abuse of older adults is becoming more and more common, she said.
Â?Seniors appear to be targeted a whole lot more oftenÂ? by scam artists looking to make any easy dollar at the hands of vulnerable members of society, she said.
The most common form of psychological abuse is treating older adults as children and refusing them to conduct their lives as they wish, she said.
Unless a doctor or the courts say otherwise, older adults are fully capable of making key decisions in their lives, no matter what an adult child or loved one might believe is in their best interests, she said.
A common form of psychological abuse is for adult children refusing to allow their parents to see their grandchildren to get their way in a family matter, she said.
Failure to provide the necessities of life is another form of elder abuse, she said.
Many seniors wonÂ?t or donÂ?t report elder abuse out of shame, fear and lack of knowledge of community resources, including the police who are willing and ready to assist them, said Lekun.
Â?We (police) need to hear about it for us to be able to do anything about it.Â?
Many seniors donÂ?t recognize elder abuse when it happens to them or are in denial about it. They simply donÂ?t believe it has happened to them and the key to the 50 presentations she makes each year is to inform seniors they should report incidents or they wonÂ?t stop, said Lekun.
Â?They have to realize itÂ?s not their faultÂ? and if they do report abuse, it will be acted on by authorities.
There is very limited legislation to protect seniors from elder abuse at the provincial and federal level, but Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci has tabled a seniorsÂ? protection bill. Sudbury MP Diane Marleau is also a strong advocate of seniorsÂ? rights, said Lekun.
Councillor Ron Dupuis said he attended a previous presentation by Lekun and was shocked after she played a tape recording by a salesperson who conned a senior through high-pressure tactics to spend money he didnÂ?t want to spend.
Â?You would have been in shock if you had heard what that older gentleman was put through,Â? said Dupuis.
Dupuis recommended all levels of government change legislation to again allow for all-seniors residences in this country.
Â?Keith Lacey
