Our guest speaker Rosetta Tombram-Jarvis from Peel Elder Abuse Network explained that it is a group of 45 agencies who collaborate to provided education and assistance to seniors in the Peel Region.
The goal of PEAPEN is to help older adults achieve an optimal quality of life.
By calling 211 information can be obtained on legal, financial and health care matters.
PEAPEN educates seniors about safety health and wellness, and makes them aware of elder abuse, an by conducting workshops and through training videos they have created.
The definition of elder abuse is any action or deliberate inaction by a person in a position of trust which violates a senior's right to feel safe.
Older aduts are the fastest growing age group in Canada.
Their increased age expectancy does not necessarily mean an improved quality of life.
There have been 15,000 cases of elder abuse reported in Peel in the areas of physical or psychological abuse, neglect or financial abuse.
Isolation, dependency and lack of mobility contribute to the risk of being abused. Some seniors are afraid to speak up because of the fear of being sent to an institution, or being regarded as a bad parent to their children who are their caregivers.
Some indicators of elder abuse are physical signs, changes in personality, or withdrawing from social settings.
To help, we can be the eyes and the ears for our elderly neighbours.