WORLD ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS DAY IN SOUTH AFRICA
15 JUNE 2008
This is the second year that Age-in-Action participated in this global event and it proved to be a huge success with over 10 500 people from all 9 provinces across the country strongly expressing their disapproval and abhorrence of any form of elder abuse, compared to about 3000 last year. Once again the purpose of the day was to: increase public awareness of elder abuse, i.e. what it is and where advice and assistance are available; make the public more aware of the elderly in their communities; and recognise elder abuse and take decisive action against it. Interest was shown by school children, the SA Police Services, magistrates, government departments and the elderly themselves, some even in their wheelchairs and using walking sticks What a powerful statement was made about the rights of our valuable older persons on this important day.
(Click here to download report with more photos - 956kb .pdf )
ASIA
INDIA
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2008 in INDIA
from Silver Innings
We are pleased to inform you all that we at ''Silver Innings Foundation'' had successfully completed World Elder Abuse Awareness day Programme in June 2008.Pls note the Elder Abuse awareness programme has still not ended it will be ongoing one as lot many people to reach out. Pls click link below for short Video clip of Dharavi Programme (it is in local Marathi Language) in association with The Family Welfare Agency - Dharavi Center.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVmiN1zB-2w
Also see some interesting Pictures of Month long programme
(for this you might need gmail /orkut account):
http://www.orkut.co.in/
Album.aspx?uid=14021897070185211660&aid=1214976968
and
http://www.orkut.co.in/
Album.aspx?uid=14021897070185211660&aid=1213648057
This Programme was promoted by INPEA (International Network for Prevention of Elder Abuse), Indian Chapter through Development, Welfare and Research Foundation (DWARF) and 'Little Things Matter Initiatives' (LTMI) ,The Family Welfare Agency, Mumbai, ARDSI (Alzheimer’s Related Disorder Society of India), Mumbai Chapter, Society for Serving Seniors, Hyderabad, Shree Manav Seva Sangh, Mumbai, and AISCCON (All India Senior Citizens' Confederation).
Warm Regards,
Sailesh Mishra
Founder - Silver Innings
A dedicated Organisation for Elders and their Family Members
Founder – ARDSI, Greater Mumbai Support Group
Advisor - Society for Serving Seniors
Managing Committee Member - ARDSI, Mumbai Chapter
Mobile: 0091 9819819145
Website : www.silverinnings.com
Blog: http://peopleforsocialcause.blogspot.com/ ;
http://silverinnings.blogspot..com/
EUROPE
GERMANY
WEAAD 2008 in Bavaria, Germany
Study investigating the frequency and types of liberty-depriving methods used against elderly individuals in need of residential care.
The practice of liberty-depriving methods in nursing may be regarded as a profound intervention in the fundamental rights and freedoms of respective individuals and, correspondingly, as a form of violence. Particularly mechanical restraining devices such as belt-systems, bed safety railings, or other forms of anchorage are predominantly utilized in order to avoid falls, behavioural disorders and uncontrolled agitation in elderly people, who frequently suffer from a form of dementia. However, applying those systems is not only associated with a loss - or at least severe limitation - of individual liberty, autonomy and social relationships. It may also cause severe health problems, particularly if regularly applied. Moreover, mechanical restraining devices may lead to injuries or even accidental death (e.g. suffocation or strangulation).
As a matter of principle, individuals in Germany are free to decide themselves whether they want a liberty-depriving method (LDM) to be utilized upon them or not. However, if individuals are not in a position to make a decision on their own, and they are being restrained, according to German law the authorisation of a guardianship court has to be obtained upon the request of a custodian.
Although the implementation of LDM in nursing must be accurately documented according to German law, at present there is no nationwide overview regarding the amount of permanent nursing home residents, nor of the type of restraining system thereby utilized.
In order to gather information about the amount and type of utilized LDMs, a questionnaire-like survey was sent out to all 1500 nursing homes in Bavaria on June 15th 2008. By the beginning of July more than one third (namely 550) of the institutions had provided data. This study is conducted as a joint cooperation of the Department for Forensic Medicine Vienna, at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria (project manager: Prof. Dr. Andrea Berzlanovich) and the Generation Research Program, Human Science Centre of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Bad Toelz, Germany (project partner: Dr. Niko Kohls), with the support of the Bavarian State Ministry of Labour and Social, Family and Women s Affairs.
The results will be necessary for a precise and accurate assessment with regard to the frequency and the various forms of implementation of LDM on nursing home residents. Anonymous data will additionally be made available to policy-makers. This will hopefully allow them to emphasize the socio-political and demographical importance of LDM in nursing that needs to be acknowledged by means of increased financial and personnel resources in order to make a difficult and complex, and up to now neglected topic, more transparent.
June 15th the World Elderly Abuse Awareness Day has been chosen as the starting date of the project in order to bring to mind that the implementation of LDM may be regarded as a form of violence against elderly individuals in need of residential care.
Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University Vienna
Primary Contact:
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Berzlanovich Andrea
Click here to send e-mail
Telephone: 00431427765771
GRP - Generation Research Program, Ludwig-Maximilians- University Munich
Contact:
Dr. Niko Kohls
Click here to send e-mail
Telephone: 00498041-79929-26
UNITED KINGDOM
WEAAD WALKING MOUNT SNOWDON
North Wales, UK
Sponsored by:
www.elderprotection.co.uk
Tel: 07766126220
Photo: Ed reaches the Snowdon Summit
Click for larger image: WEAAD2008_Snowdow.pdf (620kb)
Ed Mullenger took Awareness of Elder Abuse to a new level on Sunday 15th June when he climbed 3,560 feet above sea level, to the summit of mount Snowdon in Wales. Ed made this cruling climb to highlight the fact that 350,000 elderly people each year in the UK are abused in their own homes. Elder abuse as a hidden problem is now universally accepted, however current adult protection systems are not reaching older people, medication abuse continues to be a major problem, and that in many cases people are being left in bed, or unwashed, or left without food or access to the toilet. Ed emphasises the abuse of older people is a blight on our society and there is a duty on all of us to face up to the challenges.
Ed made his climb in just over 3 hours and encounted changing weather conditions enroute. When he set out, the sun was shining; but just one hour in to his climb, the clouds blocked the sun out and the wind brought in an icey chill. As he reached the summit, the mist desended leaving little of the Snowdonian peaks to be seen.
The summit is marked by a cairn with a brass plaque pointing out the sights that Ed, only just managed to see as the mist cleared for the odd minute allowing for a photo, record of the event to be made.
WEAAD in Shropshire County, United Kingdom
To Mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2008 Shropshire Partners in Care (SPIC), Shropshire County Council and Telford & Wrekin Council raised over £1190 hosting ‘A Good Night Out’ at Shrewsbury Football Club on June 20th with all profits going to Action on Elder Abuse.
BBC Radio Shropshire’s Jim Hawkins welcomed over 150 people to Shrewsbury Football Club following opening comments by Liz Nicholson (Interim Director, Community Services, Shropshire County Council) and Councillor Stuart West (Older People's Champion).
Guests enjoyed entertainment from 4-piece band The Delicate Strangers, belly dancing with Jude and Mehndi, St Oswalds Singers from Oswestry, quiz, raffle, disco and buffet.
Photographs from ‘A Good Night Out’
Click here to download .pdf 208kb
Mrs Debbie Price
and Mrs Carolyn Griffiths
Mrs Liz Nicholson (Interim Director, Community Services, Shropshire County Council), Councillor Stuart West (Older People's Champion), Miss Karen Littleford (Adult Protection Training and Development Worker, Shropshire Partners in Care), Mrs Karen Kalinowski, (Head of Performance & Standards, Telford and Wrekin Council) Mr Jim Hawkins (BBC Radio Shropshire) and Ms Judith McGillivray (Principal Officer Adult Protection, Telford and Wrekin Council)
The Delicate Strangers - Mrs Vanya Anderson, Mr Glynn Talbot,
Ms Sarah Hollinshead – Bland, Ms Anji Hollinshead – Bland
and Mr Graham Anderson
Back Row (L - R) Mrs Tracey Geary, Mrs Kim Benniman, Miss Lorraine Edwards and Miss Jenny Edwards
Front Row (L –R) Mrs Stacey Rowson and Mrs Alison Warterhouse
Submitted by Karen Littleford, Adult Protection Training and Development Worker
Shropshire Partners in Care Ltd. (S.P.I.C.) "Setting the Standards"
Tel: 01743 860011 Fax: 01743 860088
Click here to send Email to SPIC Website: http://www.spic.co.uk/
Shropshire Partners in Care Ltd is a not for profit company registered as a company limited with guarantee.
Registered in England and Wales, No. 4660475.
LATIN AMERICA and CARIBBEAN
NORTH AMERICA
UNITED STATES
Click for WEAAD2008_USA_TN.pdf (1.3MB)
The Tennessee Vulnerable Adult Coalition, along with the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability (TCAD), planned a rally at Legislative Plaza in Nashville Tennessee to raise awareness on the issue of elder abuse. Ten organizations had information booths at the rally, including the Metro Nashville Police Department, Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs, the YWCA, Adult Protective Services and TCAD. Other remembrances of the date were held in Chattanooga, with a proclamation signed by the mayor, and other east Tennessee communities.
State Senator Douglas Henry, also told the crowd that he supported their work in protecting Tennessee's elderly.
The event was covered by Nashville Public Radio and Channel 4 news. Pre publicity included a local talk show on News Channel 5 discussing the issues with a representative from APS, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Tennessee Vulnerable Adult Coalition. The event was also publicized online in the Tennessean's community pages. A post event interview, again with representatives from APS, TBI and TVAC will be on Nashville's radio 92Q. A MySpace page was also developed and advertised. http://www.myspace.com/tvac2008
Politicians showed interest, but most were all out of town as the State Legislature was not in session. Senators and Congressmen did not send representatives.
The most challenging was getting media attention. Even getting on the calendar of events for newspaper and TV stations was an ordeal with unsatisfactory results. Submitting notices through email did not guarantee that it would be opened by the agency at all. Personal contact with the media is necessary for any kind of publicity of the event. The coalition worked the best, in that all were committed to making the event a success and made sure that persons attended in support of the rally.
To get a bigger crowd next year, a poster contest for children might be considered. If we include are day care facilities and plenty of room for displays, we could get children and maybe parents to come to the event. It would also raise awareness of children to look out for their elders. I would continue to have speakers and booths.
The event is worth repeating. It is a worthwhile cause and interest in the topic is going to grow.
Submitted by:
Janet C. Lamb, Staff Attorney
Commission on Aging and Disability
Andrew Jackson Bldg. 8th Floor
500 Deaderick Street
Nashville, TN 37243-0860
USA
1(615)741-2056
Click to e-mail JL @ state.tn.us
Click for WEAAD2008_USA_TN.pdf (1.3MB)
OCEANIA
AUSTRALIA
WEAAD 2008 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Senior Rights Victoria was opened on Monday June 16th as part of Victoria’s contribution to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, which occurs on June 15th. This year’s theme for WEAAD was “Building Networks to Address Elder Abuse: Pathways to Human Rights”.
Helen Szoke, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Conciliator of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, said in her keynote address “it is important to note that the service’s purpose is to prevent elder abuse and specifically mentions the rights, dignity and independence of older Victorians. These aspects require greater attention and focus as we move from the respect that historically may have been afforded to elders, to focussing on the greater responsibility that may reside with a younger population which begins to take on the task of providing care for ageing members of the family."
The opening was chaired by Ms. Vivienne McCutcheon, a former President of Council on the Ageing.
The life expectancy for Australians today is 78 for a male and 83 for a female. Australians are getting older and living longer.
Senior Rights Victoria was established as part of the Victorian Government’s elder abuse prevention strategy and is aimed at providing an accessible service for older people who have suffered abuse, mistreatment or neglect.
Throughout the Western world elder abuse is recognised as “any act occurring within a relationship where there is an implication of trust, which results in harm to an older person.” It may be physical, financial, psychological or emotional.
The opening was attended by nearly 200 representatives from various organisations, including government departments, community legal centres, the RSL, housing, health and aged care agencies. Also in attendance were community members, who have been instrumental in raising awareness of the elder abuse issue in the Victorian community and lobbying for the establishment of a legal service.
The 1300 information and advice line for Senior Rights Victoria commenced on April 27th and operates between 10am and 5pm weekdays. Callers can have immediate information and referral, including to the service’s solicitors. Up until the end of May 177 calls had been received by the line of which the majority related to financial and psychological/emotional abuse. Most of these calls were received from individuals making enquiries on behalf of themselves.
Senior Rights Victoria will be offered on a statewide basis, with offices located in Melbourne, regional Bendigo and the eastern suburbs. Besides the information and advice line, the service will also provide free individual legal assistance, advocacy, community education and professional development activities for service providers and relevant agencies. The service aims to become the recognised leader in Victoria for providing knowledge, education, advocacy and legal assistance on issues of abuse and older people.
Senior Rights Victoria is auspiced by Council On The Ageing and jointly managed by the Public Interest Law Clearing House, Eastern Community Legal Centre and Loddon Campaspe Community Legal Centre.
(Click here to download report in.pdf 220kb)