June 16, 2009
BY THANA DHARMARAJAH
MERCURY STAFF
Closing the generational gap between today's youth and elders might decrease the chances of elder abuse.
That was the thrust of one marketing campaign, pitched by a group of University of Guelph students at City Hall yesterday on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.
Ideas from the Bridging the Generation Gap campaign as well as two other student campaigns are to be used by the Seniors at Risk Community Response Network of Guelph/Wellington to promote awareness of elder abuse.
Someone who commits elder abuse usually has control or influence over the older person. The abuse can include physical, sexual, financial and mental abuse as well as neglect.
"They don't understand each other," said Scott Henderson, one of the University of Guelph marketing management students about the two different generations. "The elders think the teens are disrespectful and the younger generation thinks the elders don't understand them."
His group partner James LaJoie said the generational gap is increased further due to technology.
Henderson and LaJoie suggested promoting activities, such as playing video games, through bus stop advertisements that will help teens and the elderly bond.
Another ad would urge grandparents to share their wealth of knowledge with the youngsters.
Sheli O'Connor, Wellington County's Seniors at Risk System Co-ordinator said since 2003, she has dealt with more than 500 situations of elder abuse.
Elder abuse is where child abuse was 30 years ago, she said.
"This is not an issue people want to talk about. Seniors aren't speaking up. If you think about it, you can't divorce your children."
Health-care workers noticing the abuse have created an awareness of the situation, she said.
The fastest growing form of elder abuse is financial abuse through theft by power of attorney, O'Connor said.
With the assistance of a federal grant, O'Connor is hoping to get a marketing plan incorporating the students' ideas off the ground by January. The federal government launched a national awareness campaign on elder abuse yesterday, which will run until early July. The government has put out a call for proposals and expects to fund up to 10 national and Quebec professional associations.
Abridged
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