Skit highlights importance of abuse prevention
By Mark Hoult
10 October 2008
Havelock-Belmont-Methuen – The Quick and Slick Paving Co. salesman knocks on the door and goes into his spiel as soon as an older adult woman answers. Her driveway needs work, he says, and we’ve got the men and equipment here, so we’re offering you a great deal if you can pay us right now.
In this particular situation, the salesman is Raeann Rideout, of the Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, and the victim of the scam in progress is Peterborough County OPP Const. Anne-Marie Chappell. And their skit, performed recently during a PACT (Police and Community Together) meeting at the old town hall in Havelock, is a distillation of scams involving seniors that actually take place across Ontario and Canada.
Rideout and Chappell are both with SALT, which stands for Seniors and Law Enforcement Together, an organization set up to bring local seniors together with police in a partnership of trust in an effort to reduce the physical, emotional and financial abuse of older adults.
“We really need to improve the reporting to the police,” Rideout told the approximately 50 people gathered for the SALT presentation. “If you leave here with anything, leave knowing that you can report problems to the police. We need to inform and educate and reduce the reluctance of people to talk to the police.”
Rideout stressed that elder abuse is happening right here in Peterborough and Peterborough County. Older adults are abused by people they know, and by strangers. And the most prevalent form of abuse is financial, often perpetrated by relatives who take advantage of power-of-attorney. “It’s a document that people can take advantage of in a big way, you can be drained of your finances,” Rideout said.
Statistics indicate that eight per cent of seniors are the victims of financial abuse, suffering an average loss of about $20,000 per year, Rideout said.
Local seniors needing help can call the Abuse Prevention of Older Adults Help Line at 705-742-7778, or the OPP at 705-742-0401, or 1-888-310-1122.
Abridged
SOURCE: Community Press Stirling, Canada
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