by Al Loney

Over the 31 year history of The Council on Aging of Ottawa, Elder Abuse has been the most dealt with topic and there is no sign that we can relax our vigilance. The unfortunate reality is that Elder Abuse continues to be a real and growing problem right here in Ottawa.

We at the Council are currently working on several fronts to combat Elder Abuse. We have prepared a Train the Trainer program to assist in the training of all front-line police officers with the Ottawa Police Service so that they will be better able to deal with Elder Abuse. The initial training sessions were held in mid-June 2006 to coincide with the first annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

We have launched this Web Site aimed at informing the general public on Elder Abuse. And, we are embarking on an extensive program of outreach where we will give presentations on Elder Abuse to service clubs, seniors groups, faith groups…indeed any group in our community that is interested in learning more about this horrendous topic.

Our Elder Abuse Steering Committee of the Elder Abuse Network continues to work diligently, having released the Elder Abuse Resource Directory and now launched the Coordination Office and the Consultation Team to help with difficult cases by offering options to the care giver.

Please read the information provided on this and other related web sites, and think about what you can do to help reduce the incidence of abuse and to increase the reporting of suspected cases. Those who are being abused are owed every bit of help we can provide.