WHAT IS ELDER ABUSE?
Elder Abuse occurs when an older adult is mistreated or harmed, typically by a person or persons they should be able to trust. It can happen once, or it may be repeated over time.
HOW COMMON IS ELDER ABUSE?
It is estimated that as many as 1 in 10 older adults in Canada will experience one or more forms of abuse at some point during their later years.
WHO ABUSES OLDER PEOPLE?
- Family members, relatives and care providers are the most common perpetrators.
- However, anyone who has contact or a relationship with an older person could become an abuser.
- Strangers can often target vulnerable or isolated older adults living in the community.
WHERE DOES IT HAPPEN?
Elder abuse can happen anywhere and usually happens in the home. It can also happen in hospitals, retirement homes and nursing homes.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ELDER ABUSE?
Emotional
The abuser may threaten, scream at, frighten, insult or purposefully ignore the older person.
Neglect
The abuser may withhold food, medications or health services from the older person.
Physical
There are many examples of physical abuse:
- Hitting or pushing
- Grabbing or shaking
- Pulling hair
- Throwing objects at the person
The abuser could also lock the older person in their room or keep them in bed or in a chair.
Financial
The abuser may take the older person’s money (cash, pension cheques, and savings) or force the older person to sell their home or other assets/valuables.
Sexual
The abuse may force any type of unwanted sexual act on the older person (sexual touching, kissing, hugging or intercourse).
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS THAT ELDER ABUSE COULD BE HAPPENING?
The older person:
- Has bruises, cuts, skin sores or broken bones
- Has lost weight
- Has dirty clothes, hair, teeth and skin
- Has not been given their pills regularly
- May feel sad or depressed or very afraid to talk about the abuse
- May act very uncomfortable or withdrawn in the presence of certain people
WHY WOULD AN ABUSED OLDER PERSON NOT ASK FOR HELP?
The older person may:
- Be afraid of what the abuser will do to them
- Worry they will be put in a nursing home
- Feel embarrassed
- Feel no one will believe them
- Not be able to tell someone about the abuse
- They may have difficulty speaking, speak a different language or be confused
- They may not recognize what is happening as abuse
- They may try to rationalize the abuse as being justified or better than an alternative action
WHO CAN I CALL FOR HELP?
EMERGENCY REPORTING TO POLICE
If you are in immediate danger dial 911 for emergency services.
NON-EMERGENCY REPORTING AND ASSISTANCE
SENIORS SAFETY LINE
The Seniors Safety Line provides information, referrals, and 24/7 support in over 150 languages. This hotline is a toll-free, confidential resource for seniors suffering abuse, including financial, physical, sexual, mental abuse and neglect.
ELDER ABUSE ONTARIO
Elder Abuse Ontario is a provincial, charitable, non-profit organization focused on supporting the implementation of The Ontario Strategy to Combat Elder Abuse. For information on elder abuse, visit their website.
VICTIM SUPPORT LINE
The Victim Support Line (VSL) is a multilingual telephone service that provides information for all victims of crime. This toll-free hotline offers information and referrals to support services available in your area.
RESOURCES AND SERVICES
CIRCLE OF CARE
Circle of Care provides counselling, assistance in developing a safety plan, and information on referrals to legal, financial, housing and community resources.
CRISIS OUTREACH SERVICE FOR SENIORS (COSS)
The COSS Team is an on-call mobile crisis intervention and outreach service for seniors that provides short-term response 365 days a year, 7 days a week.
Area: From Yonge Street to Warden Avenue, this service operates between Bloor Street/Danforth Avenue and Lake Ontario. Between Yonge Street and Jane Street, this service operates between Eglinton Avenue W. and Lake Ontario.
FAMILY SERVICE TORONTO – PAT’S PLACE – A SAFE HAVEN FOR OLDER PEOPLE EXPERIENCING ABUSE
Pat’s Place is a temporary safe haven for older adults 60 + who are experiencing abuse. Pat’s Place offers a one bedroom apartment in a secure location providing counselling, crisis intervention, safety planning and referral to community resources. There is no charge for rent at Pat’s Place. People are asked to contribute to the day-to-day costs (i.e. buying food, clothing, medications, laundry etc.).
RESOURCES AND SERVICES
TORONTO POLICE SERVICE
If you need more information about investigating a criminal case of elder abuse, the Toronto Police Service will investigate all occurrences of abuse wherever possible.
ADVOCACY CENTRE FOR THE ELDERLY (ACE)
Community-based legal clinic that provides services to low-income seniors along with public education.
Adapted from "Elder Abuse" in 2016 with permission from the University Health Network Patient and Family Education Program.
Modified: 2021-05
We would like to thank the following for their support of our Education Resources to Support Healthy Ageing Initiative
- Mon Sheong Foundation and the Ben and Hilda Katz Foundation have generously provided funding to support printing and translation of our Education Resources to Support Healthy Ageing.
- The Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility supported this initiative with funding through its Seniors Community Grant Program.