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Federal Elder Abuse Initiative

On June 15, 2009, the Government of Canada launched the Federal Elder Abuse Initiative public awareness campaign called Elder Abuse - It's Time To Face The Reality to:

  • help seniors and others recognize the signs and symptoms of elder abuse, and
  • to provide information on what support is available.

As a partner in the Federal Elder Abuse Initiative, Justice Canada:

  • funds research on elder abuse awareness, reporting, and the legal aspects of elder abuse;
  • produces materials for seniors to raise awareness of the risk of fraud; and
  • provides funding to regional Public Legal Educations and Information (PLEI) organizations working on the legal aspects of elder abuse.

Elder abuse can occur within the family, the community or within institutions. The following documents provide information on family violence and on fraud.

Abuse of Older Adults: Department of Justice Canada Overview Paper
This paper is one of a series on family violence. It describes the various forms of elder abuse; the factors that contribute to its occurrence; the consequences for victims; and the legal framework to respond to it.

Fraud is a crime. It could happen to anyone. Stay informed
These brochures provide information to help older adults identify potential fraud; tips on how to protect themselves and information on supports available.

As part of the Federal Elder Abuse Initiative, the Department of Justice Canada undertook two phases of research in 2009 to better understand public opinion on elder abuse. The following two reports summarize the results of public opinion research on levels of awareness and understanding of elder abuse amongst Canadians, with specific attention to financial abuse:

  • The first report, Awareness and Perceptions of Elder Abuse with Specific Attention to Financial Abuse – Survey Component, describes the results of a telephone survey undertaken by Ekos Research Associates Inc.
  • The second, Awareness and Perceptions of Elder Abuse with Specific Attention to Financial Abuse - Focus Group Component, reports on a series of focus groups held across Canada and conducted by The Strategic Counsel as a follow-up to the telephone survey.

Both reports can be found at: Public Opinion Research Reports

For more information:

Date Modified: 2012-08-03

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