June 14, 2024
June 15 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. It's an official United Nations International Day acknowledging the significance of abuse of older adults as a public health and human rights issue.
The most common form of elder abuse is financial abuse. It involves the misuse of an older adult's money or property by someone they know. The impacts can be tragic. In addition to financial loss, victims may experience shame and embarrassment, a loss of independence, and a decline in physical and mental health.
We've published four new pages to help older adults (and those supporting them) avoid and work out problems relating to financial abuse:
These pages were a co-production with retired lawyer Kevin Smith. Kevin worked for years with Seniors First BC on legal issues affecting older adults, and has an LLM in elder law. We are deeply grateful for his commitment to supporting older adults and their helpers.
Also, if you missed it, be sure to check out our recent webinar on elder abuse, where Kevin Smith was a panelist with the equally amazing Krista James.