World Elder Abuse Awareness Day - 15 June 2015
Tue 09 Jun 2015
The 2015 World Elder Abuse Awareness Week will be held 15 - 22 June. The week begins with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) held on Monday ...
The 2015 World Elder Abuse Awareness Week will be held 15 - 22 June. The week begins with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) held on Monday 15 June, symbolised by the purple ribbon or just wearing purple.
WEAAD provides the opportunity for communities to promote a better understanding of elder abuse and neglect by raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic and demographic issues which affect older people.
In New Zealand, more than 2000 cases of suspected abuse are referred to Age Concern nationally every year, of which approximately three-quarters are confirmed to involve elder abuse or neglect.
New Zealand Age Concern organisations will be holding events around the country during Elder Abuse Awareness Week, speaking on the issue of elder abuse and neglect. Visit the Age Concern website to access information on elder abuse and neglect including infosheets, booklets, posters and a web banner and logo. There is a list of things you can do to help. The website also provides short video clips discussing the different types of elder abuse.
In May 2015, the government announced an updated version of Health of Older People Strategy will be completed by the end of 2015. The new strategy will reflect changes which have occurred in the health and disability support service sector since 2002, emerging challenges faced by the healthcare system, and the development of a new health strategy.
Further resources:
Elder abuse and neglect: a selected bibliography, prepared by the New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse, University of Auckland, August 2012.
The United States National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) website provides a World Day Kit which includes outreach guides and tools, factsheets and website materials.
The United Nations website provides background information on WEAAD and elder abuse and neglect.
Media
Elder Abuse Awareness Day celebrated in Auckland, Indian Weekender, 19.06.2015
Elder abuse, not a forbidden topic, SunLive, 18.06.2015
Online banking putting elderly at risk, NZ Herald, 17.06.2015
Elder abuse rates low for Māori, Radio NZ, 16.06.2015
Bringing elder abuse into the light, Central Leader, 16.06.2015
UN chief shines spotlight on elder abuse, Press Release: UN News, Scoop, 16.06.2015
Elder abuse figures the tip of the iceberg, NewsTalk ZB, 15.06.2015
Age Concern calls for help to stop elder abuse, Voxy, 15.06.2015
New banking technologies increase risk of elder abuse, Voxy, 15.06.2015
Age Concern: Respecting elders will stop abuse, 3 News, 15.06.2015
How to spot financial elder abuse, Press Release: NZ Bankers Association, Scoop, 15.06.2015
Robyn Scott: Elder Abuse Week, NewsTalk ZB, 14.06.2015
Rescued from abusive situation, Otago Daily Times, 14.06.2015
Abuse of older people an epidemic in NZ society, Opinion, NZ Herald, 13.06.2015
Old too often targets of abuse, Wanganui Chronicle, 12.06.2015
Speak out to prevent elder abuse: Free seminar, Press Release: Tui Ora, 11.06.2015
Elder abuse a hidden problem: Tui Ora, Taranaki Daily News, 12.06.2015
Elder abuse case numbers not a true reflection, says worker, Wanganui Chronicle
Elder abuse is a big concern in South Canterbury, The Timaru Herald, 10.06.2015
Editorial: Vulnerability and opportunism two sides of the same coin, The Timaru Herald, 10.06.2015
Senior citizens prefer not to complain when it comes to elder abuse, The Timaru Herald, 10.06.2015
Age Concern needs help stopping elder abuse in community, Voxy, 08.06.2015
Outing elder abuse, Online Insider, 28.05.2015
Image: Violet ribbon by 5 millionaccountswow. Licence: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
Image: 5 millionaccountswow