By PAM DOUGLAS
May 30, 2010
With the population in Brampton and Mississauga aging and a growing awareness, the number of cases of elder abuse reported to Peel Regional Police continued to climb last year.
In 2009, police investigated 71 allegations of elderly residents being abused by someone in a position of trust that the victim relies upon for basic needs, according to a statistical report to the Peel Police Services Board Friday. However, more than half were deemed unfounded.
Of the remaining 28, criminal charges were laid in 18 and 10 investigations are continuing.
Those 71 reports were broken down as follows:
• 32 alleged physical abuse;
• 18 alleged neglect;
• 13 alleged financial abuse;
• 7 alleged psychological abuse;
• 1 alleged sexual assault.
The Peel police elder abuse co-ordinator spoke to 49 groups throughout Brampton and Mississauga last year, educating approximately 1,760 residents, front-line officers and police communications staff about the issues surrounding elder/vulnerable adult abuse. The talks in the community were focused on community agency workers, long-term care providers and residents, private care givers, elders living in their own homes, post-secondary students, volunteers and neighbourhood associations.
The elder abuse co-ordinator also worked to contact the families and caregivers of the 92 elders reported missing in Brampton and Mississauga last year, attempting to steer them toward any necessary community agency support.
Peel police define an “elderly” person as anyone 60 years of age or older. In 2006, the most recent census year, there were 165,325 residents in Brampton and Mississauga who fell into that category, or 14 per cent of the population.
“The increase in reported incidents of elder abuse is indicative of the aging population and the increased awareness of this previously unreported crime,” according to Const. Fiona Thivierge, who wrote the report for the board.
SOURCE: The Brampton Guardian
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