The Faces of Elder Abuse Conference 2004

May 27-28, 2004

Holiday Inn St. John's, 180 Portugal Cove Road, St. John's, NL A1B 2N2

This Conference offered participants an interactive experience.  They had the opportunity to raise their concerns and issues about elder abuse in each of the concurrent sessions. Session facilitators ensured that participants' concerns, issues and suggestions were recorded for inclusion in the Conference Report.  This report will be used as the basis for a further event, such as a major workshop, to develop a provincial strategy to address elder abuse issues.  The resulting Strategy Document will be available as a guide for future public policy developments to respond to elder abuse issues. 

PRELIMINARY SESSION PRESENTERS 

Mr. Ivan Hale, C.M. 

Mr. Hale is the past Secretary General of the International Federation on Ageing which is headquartered in Montreal.  He served in that role from September 2001 to April 2003, and was responsible for the successful management of the Federation which has consultative status to the United Nations and the World Health Organization. 

Mr. Hale brought to the Conference a broad knowledge base as a professional and a volunteer, with experience which spans social policy, aging issues, elder abuse, citizen engagement and consultation, and the role of civil society in lobbying and change.  His former role as CEO and National Secretary of ONE VOICE - Canadian Seniors Network, found him in frequent contact with the issues of elder abuse, ageism and many other aging-related concerns.  He was appointed Member of the Order of Canada in 1982; and received the Queen's Jubilee Award, 2003.  

Ms. Charmaine Spencer, L.L.M., LLB., B.A. 

Ms. Spencer is a lawyer and an Adjunct Professor Vulnerable Populations, focusing on a range of at-risk and older adult abuse issues in community and institutional settings.  She has been a staff member of Simon Fraser University's Gerontology Research Centre in Vancouver, BC, since 1991.  She has authored and co-authored several local, provincial And national reports about abuse of older persons. 

Ms. Spencer works extensively with community partners in her work.  Her research and national analysis often look at later life abuse issues in the context of health, gender and ageism.  Her legal interests have focused on disability law and human rights protection.  She also writes on a number of elder law issues for lawyers and the general public, including co-authoring, in 2003, a plain language rights booklet for seniors in long term care. 

Ms. Shannie Duff 

Ms. Duff has a professional background in nursing.  She is best known perhaps, as a result of her extensive contributions to public life in the City of St. John's, where she has served as mayor, and latterly as Councilor at large.  Her wealth of experience and knowledge extends to other areas, including a keen interest in and support for the city's historic properties, and support for non-profit organizations. 

CONCURRENT SESSIONS 

To the greatest extent possible, all sessions will be presented so as to facilitate an interactive experience for Conference registrants.  Each session will allow for at least a 20 - 30 minutes for discussion, sharing, recommendations and other comments which will become a part of the A Conference Report. The latter will be used to develop a mini-conference or planning session.  This will be used to create a strategic plan to deal with elder abuse.  The Strategic Plan will be presented  to Government to encourage the development of  specific policies designed to address the issues of elder abuse. 

Recognizing Elder Abuse: The Indicators 

This session were facilitated by Maureen O'Keefe, Social Worker, St. Patrick's Mercy Home, and presented by: Elizabeth Siegel, Writer/Editor/Researcher.  She has been researching the topic of elder abuse for the past year, for the Seniors Resource Centre, in conjunction with the development of an elder abuse guide for health professional and others, titled,  Looking Beyond The Hurt. 

It is vital that members of the community be alert for possible signs of elder abuse and be prepared to ask the question: Are you being abused? This session examined some of the most common indicators of elder abuse through presentation, discussion and examining the Looking Beyond The Hurt guide.  This was aided by skits portraying abused seniors interacting with service providers and other members of the community.  The session also addressed how to approach the topic of abuse with an older person who is suspected of being abused. 

Financial Abuse 

This session examined the financial spectrum in which older persons may be subjected to abuse.  Vulnerable or otherwise, older persons are primary targets for many unscrupulous persons seeking to separate them from their finances, their property and even their identities.

This session was facilitated by Caroline Vaughan, associated with Frontier College and Coordinator of the ABCs of Frauds Program, being delivered by the Seniors Resource Centre.  The first component of the session, with the assistance of older persons from the ABCs of Fraud Program, outlined and demonstrated the various approaches and attempts used to defraud older persons;  and the measures which can be taken to prevent such actions. 

Other presenters included Susan Hounsell, Solicitor with Tobias McDonald Law Firm, and Al Antle, Executive Director, Credit Counseling Services.  They presented and discussed situations in which seniors may unknowingly (or sometimes knowingly), be induced to distribute or commit their resources without full knowledge or understanding, to their detriment.  

The Challenges of Providing Care 

The session was facilitated by Sheila Tucker, Analyst, ZEDD Comm.  Presenters included Kathy Turner, Chief Executive Officer, Chancellor Park, St. John's; Judy Paul, Clinical Practice - Social Work and Annette Morgan, Clinical Nurse Practice, St. John's Nursing Home Board;  Genevieve Kennedy, Proprietor of Kennedy's Personal Care Home in Holyrood; and Sylvia Snelgrove, representing Helping Hands Home Care, St. John's. 

The Challenges of addressing the issues of elder abuse in care facilities were presented from several perspectives.  They include the role of policy development and implementation; establishing the appropriate environment of respect and caring to preclude opportunities for elder abuse;  and the risks of promoting elder abuse through existing social and financial policies.  

Dementia: The Impacts on Caregivers and the Community 

Facilitated by Shirley Lucas, Executive Director, Alzheimer Society of Newfoundland and Labrador.  This session included presentations by Dr. Roger Butler, Clinical Chief, Continuing Care Program, St. John's Health Care Corporation; Kimberley Parsley, Social Worker, Health and Community Services - St. John's Region,  and Ms. Violet Ruelock, providing a caregiver's perspective. 

Dr. Butler spoke to the issues of dementia and the possible implications for elder abuse. The Representative from Health and Community Services discussed the community's potential to provide services in situations where dementia may engender abusive responses and actions.  Ms. Ruelock described the personal challenges experienced in care giving to loved ones and others. 

Lisa Hurd Presents: Dance Like A Butterfly 

Award winning actor, Lisa Hurd, was featured as Tillie in the sensitively written play,  Dance Like A Butterfly, by Aviva Ravel.  Very entertaining, yet with much depth and food for thought, Ms. Hurd's portrayal of Tillie provided insight into the eroding of a person's sense of self-worth, independence, rights and responsibilities as she experiences a decline in her coping abilities.  This session was facilitated by Jane Macdonald.

Intervention and Resources 

This session, presented twice, was facilitated as follows. In the first session, on Thursday afternoon, will be facilitated by Suzanne Brake, doctoral candidate at the School of Social Work, University of Calgary. The second session, on Friday morning, was facilitated by Colleen Hanrahan, Lawyer with The Institute for the Advancement of Public Policy, Inc., in St. John's.  Presenters representing several aspects of dealing with elder abuse outlined their perspectives and how they deal with the issues, and the obstacles they may face.  Presenters included: Allan Corbett, Director of the Neglected Adults Act, Department of Health and Community Services;. Rosemary Lester, Executive Director, Seniors Resource Centre;   Pam Hiscock, Social Worker, Health and Community Services - St. John's Region; and Constable John Pardy, Community Policing Division, RCMP. 

Presentations and discussions focused on the variety of interventions available, particularly at the community level to respond to elder abuse situations, for example, the Neglected Adults Act.  Apart from crisis interventions, what are the resources are available to respond to incidents of abuse?  Other topics included:  Are there service gaps which can be clearly identified? Mandatory reporting of elder abuse versus non-mandatory reporting;  Lack of clarity in the processes used to report elder abuse;   Are there difficulties with existing legislation to address elder abuse?  Indeed, is that such legislation? 

Seniors Speak Out On Elder Abuse 

This session was facilitated by Yvonne Jacobs and Trudy Marshall of the Seniors Resource Centre.  Yvonne Jacobs is the Manager of the Peer Advocate Program; Trudy Marshall is the Coordinator of the Project: The Hurting Times. 

Seniors presented their expert opinions on the issues surrounding elder abuse in their communities.  These Senior Resource Centre volunteers are participants of the Peer Advocate program and/or the Elder Abuse: The Hurting Times Project. 

Peer Advocates and other helpers were given support and the tools to work with their peers on a one-to-one basis.  Information sessions from the Peer Advocate Program and The Hurting Times Project equipped these individuals to be supportive in situations involving elder abuse.  Seniors Speak Out On Elder Abuse' Project increased awareness in their communities, provided a regional context, and give their individual perspective on the important issues or problems/gaps in services. This session generated an interactive discussion to develop priorities and recommendations for concrete action. 

Embracing Diversity: Respect For Our Differences 

This session was presented by Suzanne Brake, doctoral candidate at the School of Social Work, University of Calgary.  Facilitator was Jane Macdonald, Director of Quality Initiatives, St. John's Nursing Home Board. 

This session captured issues related to persons who may be vulnerable to abuse because of their position in society;  age being one of the marginalizing factors, also gender, economic status, ethnic origin, or sexual orientation.  The main focus of this session was to raise awareness of the need for inclusion and ensuring that people understand that the issue of elder abuse is impacted by these factors.

Click here for the Proceedings of The Faces of Elder Abuse Conference - May 27-28, 2004
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This Conference was funded in part through the Government of Canada’s National Crime Prevention Strategy

Other Partners and Sponsors:
Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) Avalon Chapter
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Health and Community Services