Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 9, 2021 | 2:00 p.m. | Windsor, ON
On June 15th, FSWE will mark WEAAD by participating in a made-in-Windsor social media campaign, #WEAADinYQG, along with members the Elder Abuse Resource & Prevention Network of Windsor and Essex County (the “Network”).
Every year an estimated 2-10% of seniors (or 40,000 – 200,000 seniors) living in Ontario experience elder abuse and neglect. “Whether the abuse is financial, emotional or physical, any kind of elder abuse is unacceptable, says Mehnaz Rafat, coordinator of Family Services Windsor-Essex’s Elder Abuse Response Service. “Our older adults deserve to age with dignity and live free from abuse. Every senior should feel valued and included.”
With the #WEAADinYQG campaign, FSWE and members of the Network will draw attention to elder abuse and the importance of keeping our older adults safe in our community to reflect this year’s global WEAAD theme, “Rights Don’t Get Old”. Our collective message is that seniors have the right to live free from abuse; the right to financial security; the right to safe housing; the right to quality health care; and the right to access justice.
At FSWE, we bring a strengths-based and trauma-informed approach in our work with older adults. Our Elder Abuse Response Service matches older adults with a social worker to provide a quick and warm response to a request for help, provides them and their families with professional advocacy and support, and helps older adults build resilience and live safely.
“The pandemic has certainly added a layer of complexity to our work”, says Barb Iacono, Manager of Community Programs. “Our seniors have become more socially isolated, are increasingly being targeted by scammers, are having difficulty accessing needed care and supplies as they avoid public transportation or grocery stores, and are experiencing financial hardship as a result of paying cab fares and grocery delivery services.” Barb adds, “Unfortunately, all of these factors have increased the risk of elder abuse.”
We encourage anyone who is experiencing elder abuse, or knows someone who may be experiencing elder abuse, to call us confidentially for support at 519-966-5010. For more information about FSWE’s Elder Abuse Response Service and #WEAADinYQG, please contact:
Jason Marin, Communications Specialist, FSWE
519-966-5010 x1089
[email protected]
www.fswe.ca
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Download a copy of this Media Release and our Elder Abuse Response Service Fact Sheet.