Financial abuse of seniors a hidden crisis: Minister
BY JAMIE HALL, EDMONTON JOURNAL
SEPTEMBER 10, 2009
The financial abuse of Canada's seniors is a "tip-of-the-iceberg scenario" that needs to be tackled by all levels of government, the federal minister of state for seniors said in Edmonton Thursday.
Marjory LeBreton made the comment at the conclusion of the annual meeting of federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for seniors, who agreed that elder abuse, particularly financial exploitation, is one of the major issues facing Canada's fastest-growing population.
"We're probably not aware of the extent of the financial abuse of seniors," said LeBreton. "One of the problems is that victims feel they have nowhere to turn, or don't want to cause problems in their family.
"They're ashamed and don't want to admit that someone has taken advantage of them financially.
"It's hard for people to admit that someone in their family has taken money from them in a fraudulent way," said Alberta Minister of Seniors and Community Supports Mary Anne Jablonski, who co-chaired the meeting with LeBreton.
LeBreton said the federal government conducted extensive research in the wake of last year's ministers' meeting. The resulting data showed that four in 10 seniors in Canada admitted they had been subjected to some form of abuse, whether physical, emotional or financial.
© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal
Abridged
SOURCE: The Edmonton Journal
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