A spokesperson for the Sarnia-Lambton Committee on Violence Against Women is highlighting the importance of being supportive and available to those who may be experiencing elder abuse.
Tracy Rogers discussed the signs of elder abuse during a recent Kiwanis Club of Sarnia-Lambton Golden K meeting.
Rogers said there are different forms of abuse, such as verbal, physical, sexual, financial, spiritual, and neglect.
She said some of the warning signs include a lack of food in the house, household items starting to disappear, unexplained injuries, a sudden change in habits or isolation, or someone abruptly moving in.
Regardless of the type of abuse, victims are often left feeling trapped by their circumstances and afraid to speak out.
Rogers said there are three things people can do to protect older individuals: see it, name it, and check it.
"Notice what makes you feel uncomfortable, learn about the abuse, and recognize the warning signs. Next, we're going to name it," she said. "Name your concerns, 'I'm worried about you,' and talk to the older adult or someone you can trust."
For those unsure about what to do in these situations, Rogers said there are local resources available to ask questions, including Lambton Elderly Outreach, the Women's Interval Home of Sarnia Lambton, Sarnia Police Service, or OPP.
"Next, we're going to check it. As little as, 'Are you okay? What can I do to help?' Putting the shoes back on them, they have to decide on what help they would like," Rogers said. "The whole purpose of this campaign is to open the door for support."
Supportive phrases Rogers recommends include, 'I care about you, I believe you, it's not your fault, I'm worried about you, I support you in your decision.'"
During the discussion, Rogers shared a few videos and outlined different scenarios. In some cases, seniors could be neglected even though a person has been paid to provide certain services, a spouse could be physically abusive toward their partner, or family members could be unwilling to help due to past circumstances.
"They might not recognize that what they're doing is abusive behavior. It's usually family members. We don't know the norm. Was there abuse always in that home? Is that what they were raised with?" Rogers said.
In terms of financial abuse, Rogers said, normally, it's the children.
"They feel that, 'It's going to be my money someday so why not have it now?'"
Again, Rogers recommends opening the lines of communication, especially among siblings if there is a suspicion about the misuse of finances.
"That's a tough conversation to have with a sibling who might be taking money from parents," she said.
During the Kiwanis meeting, Rogers also discussed agism and what it means.
As an example, she said agism can look like someone judging a motorist for driving slow or speaking to a family member or caregiver instead of the older individual during appointments or outings.
"We can all have ageist attitudes and it's a factor in abuse. It's discrimination against the older adult because they're older," Rogers said.
According to a Canadian survey about agism, 63 per cent of respondents said they felt they had been treated unfairly based on their age.