Events to Focus on Elderly Abuse (USA)

Local organizations are holding events next week to focus on elder abuse.


The Area Agency on Aging 8 and the O'Neill and Belpre Senior centers will hold programs to focus on elder abuse on June 15 during World Awareness Day.


Also, Home Helpers Direct Link is sponsoring an elder abuse awareness day June 15 from 1-7 p.m. at Parkersburg City Park.


Residents are being asked to wear purple on June 15 to commemorate the day, and the Agency on Aging will hold a balloon release at around 12:30 p.m. following lunch and a brief program.


Abuse of elders takes many different forms, some involving intimidation or threats against the elderly, some involving neglect, and others involving financial exploitation. Raising awareness of elder abuse and neglect is a challenge and no effort is too small.


"Throughout the world, abuse and neglect of older persons is largely under-recognized or treated as an unspoken problem," said Rick Hindman, director of the Area Agency on Aging. "Unfortunately, no community is immune from this issue. Ohio's Area Agencies on Aging remain concerned that for every one case that does get reported, five others go unreported."


June 15 recognizes the significance of elder abuse as a public health and human rights issue. The first awareness day in 2006 involved several hundred organizations and governmental bodies at international, national, regional, local, community and neighborhood levels, in every continent in the world.


Speakers, refreshments, door prize drawings and a balloon release will take place at City Park, according to a press release.


Reports state 13 percent of older adults are abused and mistreated, often by someone they trust, said Home Helpers. Home Helpers has partnered with the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse to bring elder abuse to the forefront of social concerns and aid its prevention by raising awareness, educating people and encouraging them to report suspected abuse immediately, the group said



SOURCE:    News and Sentinel
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