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Peterborough
woman
promises to help eliminate abuse of older persons Abuse of older persons is an issue that has been hidden in the closet for a long time, says local resident Jean Burkholder. Only recently has this concern been getting more attention, and Jean wants to do her part to continue to increase awareness and help stop the abuse. Through the Peterborough Peace Builder Campaign, she has made a promise “to continue to be vigilantly active in all aspects of (preventing) abuse of older persons.” The campaign, which coincides with October’s Month Without Violence, calls on residents to make a promise of action to reduce violence and build a better community. Jean, who is involved in a number of community organizations including Abuse Prevention of Older Adults and the municipal social policy initiatives committee, says she “could hardly escape hearing about it (the campaign).” She adds she has been following the Peaceful Communities movement since its launch about three years ago. “When the initiative started, I arranged to have the co-ordinator speak to older adults to use as a focus group,” she says. “I’ve found that with most social initiatives, that age group tends to be overlooked.” According to surveys, says Jean, 10 to 14 per cent of people over age 65 are abused. That abuse can take many forms, she explains, including physical, psychological and emotional, “but the biggest, the worst, is financial.” Of those who are abused, a minimum of 40 per cent are abused financially, “and most of those abusers happen to be sons and daughters. It’s not a pretty picture,” she says. Locally, 27 per cent of the population in the county and city are over age 65, adds Jean. To help fulfill her promise, Jean is focusing on raising awareness and educating the public through talks and presentations. “The most dominant need is education, not just of the general populace – it starts with children and includes older adults themselves. Many are not aware of what their rights are, and many have difficulty defining that what their children are doing is abusive.” Over the past two years, the Abuse Prevention of Older Adults organization has made presentations to seniors’ groups, lawyers, financial institutions, “and anyone else we can think of,” says Jean. |
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