Oct 19, 2009
Elder Abuse Victims, Survivors and Advocates Tell Their Stories in Campaign
Documentary
National Premier at Capitol Hill Briefing
PRNewswire-USNewswire/
A video documentary on elder abuse featuring stories of victims and survivors from across the country premiered on Capitol Hill today as part of a briefing where expert speakers urged Congressional passage of the Elder Justice Act.
"An Age for Justice; Elder Abuse in America" was developed as part of Elder
Justice Now, a campaign that uses the power of video and the Internet to put a human face on the problem and allow elders and others a way to advocate for
Congressional action.
Produced by the National Council on Aging and WITNESS, an international human
rights organization, the documentary will -- in combination with hundreds of
individual video stories filmed by trained elder advocates -- shine the light
on what one interviewee called a "dark mark on our humanity."
"The voices and images of so many victims, adult protective services workers,
law enforcement, family members and caregivers drive home the need for
action," James P. Firman, president and CEO of the National Council on Aging
said at the briefing. "Our nation's seniors, especially the vulnerable, the
frail and the very old, need federal protection now."
The documentary shows families and individuals whose lives have been turned
upside down by elder abuse. Vicki Bastion, 92, installed a security gate
inside her home to protect her and what valuables she had left from her
grandson and his gang-related friends. Betty Beckle's daughter beat her. Bob
Lee's father was victimized by a paid caregiver. Pat Wilson's husband, who has Alzheimer's, was victimized financially by a young woman in Las Vegas.
its health reform bill, but passage of the Act still remains a question.
According to WITNESS Program Coordinator Kelly Matheson, who also directed the video, this is the first use of video advocacy in the aging field. Since 1992, WITNESS has worked in over 70 countries and trained thousands of activists to use video in international human rights campaigns.
American public that the freedom from worry about elder abuse is a basic human right," she said.
The documentary and the video stories can be found on the campaign Web site
Abridged
SOURCE: Reuters
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