Elder abuse awareness has never been greater in the Cochrane area, thanks to work completed by the Community-Led Elder Abuse Response (CLEAR) team.

The third annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day information session and walk were staged from the Royal Canadian Legion on June 14. It successfully capsuled the progress that has been made over the last three years.

"We've seen an increase in clients," says Jenny-Lyn  Keene, community resource worker of the Western Rocky View Resource Centre. "We are seeing increased awareness. As people learn more about the abuse of older people, there's a growing openness to talk about it," 

"Elder abuse exists and it is very real. Fortunately, there are people in the community who can support an individual going through it."

Elder abuse is as complicated and multi-layered as our society. Physically abused, spiritual abuse, emotional abuse, financial abuse, neglect, medication abuse are among its many forms.

"There are often significant family dynamics. There are physical and mental health issues potentially going on. There are all kinds of different issues that can contribute to a situation where an older adult may be experiencing some form of abuse or is vulnerable to it. So, it is very complex and deeply rooted in family systems.

"And sometimes it's not. Sometimes it is an older adult who is a victim of fraud or is a victim of abuse at the hands of a professional caregiver. So it does vary and is not always deeply rooted in the family system."

CLEAR was broken into a working group and education and awareness committee after the groundbreaking work of its steering committee in 2016. 

More people, organizations and businesses are aware that CLEAR exists. It's not unusual for an outside party to draw attention to possible cases.

"Even if this doesn't affect you personally, it could affect somebody you know and so it is important to be aware of the signs and the symptoms and what the resources are to support a family member, a loved one, or a neighbour or a colleague that we feel may be a victim of elder abuse or may be vulnerable to elder abuse happening."

"It may not be occurring right now but there are some red flags indicating that there may need to be some more support and education to prevent elder abuse from actually occurring."

CLEAR's working group is creating a collaborative case consultation table for older adults to help professionals deal with complex cases. Keene says it's currently in the development phase. 

Financial abuse is the number one form of abuse and that topic was the theme of Friday's event. A representative from ATB Financial was on hand to provide insight and answer questions.

Alarming Online Fraud Trend

An alarming new online fraud trend goes far beyond the typical Canada Revenue Agency scam.

Email phishing, catfishing, romance scams... it is called many things and it's on the rise here in the Cochrane area, says Keene. CLEAR has been tracking it closely since January 2019 and will be launching an educational campaign.

"We're seeing in the community and it's concerning enough to plan for some awareness in the fall around these specific forms of online fraud."

Issue Impacts One in 10 Seniors

Research indicates one in 10 seniors are victims. With the population of older people in the province, the issue is becoming proportionately larger.

If you need assistance or want further information, these are valuable contact numbers. You can reach out to the Western Rocky View Family and Community Resource Centre at 403-851-2250. After hours, you can reach out to the Elder Abuse Resource Line at 403-705-3250.

In case of emergencies and immediate danger, dial 9-1-1.