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Background

 

Older adults who were interviewed for the National Prevalence Study of the Mistreatment of Older Adults in Canada (conducted by NICE and published in 2015) said that, hypothetically, if they knew someone was mistreated, or if they themselves were mistreated, they would talk to their families about it. However, in practice, older adults tend to turn to their peers - who were older friends - to talk about abuse. 

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According to the World Health Organization (2016), globally, approximately 2 out of 3 people living with dementia have been abused.  It is also acknowledged that among older adults living with dementia, increased cognitive and physical impairments as dementia progresses may increase the risk of being placed in situations of abuse and neglect.

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Cognitive and physical impairments increase the risk of experiencing abuse and neglect among people living with dementia.  Examples include:

• Reduced motor abilities and/or communication abilities

• Reduced decision-making abilities to address the abusive situation

• Reduced social networks 

• Increased need for supports from caregivers, health professionals, family members, and others        

 

What are our objectives?​

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The overarching goal of the project is to educate older adults in the community about elder abuse and neglect, particularly among those living with dementia, delivered by trained older adults and their peers.

 

The aim of this project is to try a changed, peer-based approach to elder abuse awareness through the leadership of older adults in providing education on elder abuse and dementia. As demonstrated in research and NICE's previous work, a peer-based approach may bring a unique perspective to older adults and community members into building a strong, informed system of support and prevention.

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What's our plan?​​

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• Develop workshop content based on insights from an advisory committee 

• Host 10 workshops across Canada facilitated by trained seniors 

• Evaluate the experiences of participants through an online survey

• Gather the experiences of our senior facilitators using interviews

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Contact Sharon Tan, Research Officer, at sharon.tan@utoronto.ca with any inquiries.