Reports - CNPEA

Prepared by:

David Burnes, PhD, Canada Research Chair in Older Adult Mistreatment Prevention; Associate Professor, University of Toronto, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work; Affiliate Scientist, Baycrest, Rotman Research Institute; and
Professeure Marie Beaulieu, Ph.D., MSRC/FRSC; Co-Director, WHO Collaborative Centre, Age Friendly Communities/Elder Abuse; Retired Professor and Associate, Université de Sherbrooke, School of Social Work; Associate Researcher, Research Centre on Aging, CIUSSS Estrie-CHUS;

for the Federal, Provincial and Territorial (FPT) Forum of Ministers Responsible for Seniors.

The objective of this project was to identify gaps and challenges in preventing and responding to MOA in Canada, more specifically, gaps and challenges that were exposed or exacerbated during the pandemic. This project undertook the following 2 strategies to meet this objective:

a comprehensive review of the literature focusing on MOA prevention and response during the pandemic
a survey of stakeholders across Canada directly involved in MOA prevention or response throughout the pandemic

Based on the findings synthesized across the comprehensive literature review and stakeholder survey, a set of recommended future directions are provided. These future direction recommendations represent key opportunities and actionable steps to address the identified gaps and challenges in preventing and responding to MOA that were exposed during the pandemic.

Source: Employment and Social Development Canada

Prepared by Laura Kadowaki, Barbara McMillan, and Kahir Lalji (United Way British Columbia) for the Federal, Provincial and Territorial (FPT) Forum of Ministers Responsible for Seniors.

As a part of the FPT Seniors Forum’s work, feedback was sought from Canadians to better understand the impacts of ageism at the individual level, and at the community level. Between September and November 2022 a total of 8 FPT Seniors Forum-led roundtable consultations and 17 stakeholder-led consultations were hosted across Canada, providing participants with an opportunity to discuss ageism. This “What We Heard” report summarizes input received from the FPT Seniors Forum led roundtable consultations and stakeholder-led consultations and the ageism questionnaire. This input will inform a subsequent Policy Options Report, to be submitted to FPT Ministers for their consideration, that will propose approaches, initiatives, and strategies to address ageism in Canada.

In the ageism questionnaire, respondents were asked whether they had ever experienced ageism themselves. Approximately half (48.4%) of respondents responded yes. The most common settings in which respondents reported having experienced or seen ageism were public settings, workplace settings, and health care settings. Furthermore, over two-thirds of questionnaire respondents (69.9%) believed that ageism has increased in Canada since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Themes explored in the consultations:

employment
health and health care
social inclusion
safety and security
media and social media

Source: Employment and Social Development Canada

This report collected and analyzed recommendations made in published reports on prevention of abuse of older adults in Canada. Abuse of older adults is perpetuated by systemic drivers like ageism. The varied networks, community response organizations, provincial and territorial strategies and legislative changes devoted to the topic reflect ongoing concerns about it among policymakers across Canada.

Actions to date have not been sufficient or applied consistently enough to tackle the issue across the country, however, and within the existing system there remain many opportunities for change. Through analysis of many recommendations made in published reports, and engagement with participating Elder Abuse Task Force members, AGEWELL- APPTA developed 5 overarching goals for Canada’s approach to addressing the abuse of older adults:

(1) Funding models for prevention and response to abuse that are budget line items for appropriate ministries, rather than special initiatives;
(2) Establishing seniors advocate offices in the federal government, and in provinces and territories where they are not already present;
(3) Amendments to legislation to protect all older adults;
(4) Improved data collection; and
(5) Improved awareness and education, including combating ageism in society

Elder Abuse Task Force members

Canadian Network for Prevention of Elder Abuse (CNPEA),
BC Association of Community Response Networks (BC CRN)
Isobel MacKenzie, Seniors Advocate, BC
Alberta Elder Abuse Awareness Council (AEAAC)
Seniors NL
CanAGE
British Columbia Law Institute (BCLI)
Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario (EAPO)
Caregiving Matters
New Brunswick Seniors’ Advocate office

Source: AGE-WELL National Innovation Hub APPTA

While there is increasing attention to elder abuse including financial elder abuse within 2SLGBTQI communities, there has been minimal research to date. There are no known prevalence and incidence studies regarding elder abuse or financial elder abuse of 2SLGBTQI older adults. (...) Further research and critical conversations about elder abuse including financial abuse in 2SLGBTQI communities is needed to better understand how financial elder abuse is experienced, its underlying causes and tensions, and to identify what community needs and wishes are. Innovative approaches are also needed to build community bridges, increase knowledge and education about elder abuse, tackle ageism, decrease barriers to accessing services, and ultimately to prevent elder abuse and financial elder abuse.

Source: Egale Canada

This report expands awareness of the intersections of elder abuse and disability, with an emphasis on financial abuse. This funding opportunity, provided through NHSP, allows DAWN to build on an existing body of work and research in the area of violence and abuse, and identify priority areas for future research. This report includes a review of key research, existing tools and resources for public education and prevention, and tangible next steps for DAWN to carry out post-report to further advance work at the intersections of age, disability, and abuse, as well as other intersecting identities. This report serves as the needs assessment portion of the project which will inform existing gaps, awareness needs, and practical tools and resources for stakeholders.