Iakhihsohtha Hosts Elder Abuse Prevention Workshop

Iakhihsohtha Home for the Elderly held a presentation for their residents and community members on the topic of Elder Abuse Prevention on April 13. This presentation is part of a series being developed by Maureen Benedict the Activity Coordinator of the facility, Officer Rob White of the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service and Denise Paquette of Care for Elder.

“This presentation was a big eye opener for the staff. It really makes you realize that Elder Abuse covers a wide area. Providing a workshop like this to staff and residents is for everyone’s protection,” said Benedict. Providing this training to the staff at Iakhisohtha allows for added protection for the residents.

The idea for this workshop and others was generated from the resident council meetings. Another topic of interest was a presentation on Wills and Estate Planning for Canadian residents that will be occurring in the coming month.

“Often elders do not speak up about abuse they may be going through because they have been victimized and are afraid to tell the police,” said Officer White.

The workshop itself was about empowering the residents on their rights in case there is elder abuse occurring. In some situations an elder might not realize that what they are going through is considered abuse.

“Don’t be afraid to speak up if you feel in your gut that something is wrong,” said Paquette as she addressed the residents of the home. “Elder abuse can happen anywhere, anytime to anyone with 4/5 of cases never being reported.”

The presentation made to the elders demonstrated that elder abuse involves more than just physical abuse. It is a complex issue that encompasses emotional and financial abuse as well as violations of their rights. Adding to the problem, there are also telephone scams going around targeting elders.

“Contracting fraud has been some of the biggest scams around,” said Officer White. In most cases a contractor will accept money to provide a service and then never return to the elders home to do the work.

If an elder feels like they might be experiencing abuse they can contact support services for information and help, revoke the power of attorney if it is misused, set up a trust that is managed by a professional, close any joint bank accounts, arrange for automatic deposits and bill payments, or talk to other family members about the abuse. The police can also provide a no-contact order on the abuser.

For more information on where to get assistance contact Care for Elder at 613-932-3451 or the local police service.