A Call to Action for Elder Abuse Awareness!

“I live with my daughter and her husband. My son-in-law works very hard, so he is often tired and moody. Lately he has been doing things like pulling my hair and leaving me in my room all day without food when my daughter is out. He even punched me once. I think it must be because he is tired, but is this normal? I don’t want to get him in trouble.” Cynthia 78 years of age.

The basic human rights of older citizens are challenged and undercut every day, and tragically, this has never been more true than over the last year during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s estimated that 7-10% of older Canadians and Americans are victims of elder abuse — 1 in 6 seniors globally. A survey released in 2016 by the National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly estimated that 766,000 Canadian seniors – more than three-quarters of a million–were abused last year. 

We cannot allow this to continue... Will you join us in June to help raise awareness of Elder Abuse with a goal of turning the tide? At Plan to Protect® we are joining a global initiative to create a conversation around elder abuse prevention and what each of us can do to uphold and protect the rights of seniors in our communities.This call to action is for not for profits, charities, faith communities, businesses, and schools. Here are three initiatives we are taking, that we are inviting you to participate in... 

#1 Elder Abuse Awareness Kits – Host an event to raise awareness. An incredible offer - FREE (value $100) We are giving away hundreds of Elder Abuse Awareness Kits. If you will commit to hosting one elder abuse awareness seminar within your community, we will provide you everything you need to host an Elder Abuse Awareness Seminar.

The kit includes: posters host recommendations instructor notes student notes PowerPoints Access to a demonstration and more  This is a complimentary resource, the only thing we ask is that you: Host at least one event in the next eight months where you introduce the prevalence of elder abuse and tips for responding to and preventing it. Share with us the number of attendees, and how the event turned out. Kudos to organizations that post a picture of the event on our Plan to Protect Seniors Facebook page. Click Here to visit the Plan to Protect® Seniors Facebook page. 

Suggested events: Lunch ‘n Learn Seniors group Outreach in your community Elder care seminar for adults with aging parents Sunday school class Nursing home seminar CLICK HERE to register for the complimentary Elder Abuse Awareness Kit.

#2 Monthly Elder Abuse Awareness Webinars. We will be hosting ten free webinars (one each month). If you can’t host an event yourself, invite your friends, family and community to a one-hour webinar on elder abuse and care for seniors.  In this seminar we will provide information on what is elder abuse, tips for helping family and friends, and the skills to respond to the following scenarios: “I live with my daughter and her husband. My son-in-law works very hard, so he is often tired and moody. Lately he has been doing things like pulling my hair and leaving me in my room all day without food when my daughter is out. He even punched me once. I think it must be because he is tired, but is this normal? I don’t want to get him in trouble.” “Lynn’s grandmother was living in a nursing home. Lynn would visit her grandmother and her grandmother would voice extreme fear and recall stories of a man that would come into the nursing home during the night and touch her. He also was the one that would do her sponge baths. Lynn feared her grandmother was being sexually abused.” “One of our seniors lives alone and there is a family in our church that has been very good to her. I am becoming concerned, however, that they might be taking advantage of her financially. They shop for her and cash her cheques, but when I last saw her, she seemed to be very short of money and food. How can I tell if they are stealing from her?”

Watch our monthly calendar for the dates and times. Join the conversation ... we look forward to raising the awareness of elder abuse together.  Download the invitation to share with others.  

#3 During the month of June, Melodie will be hosting a series of podcasts on Elder Abuse Prevention and Protection.  Week #1: The Prevalence of Elder Abuse. Week #2: How to Recognize and Respond to Elder Abuse. Week #3: Tips for Protecting the Elderly. Week #4: Tips for Protecting Yourself as a Caregiver. CLICK HERE to subscribe to Plan to Protect® with Melodie Bissell, the safest podcast on the internet.

Elder Abuse Awareness Seminar

June 29, 2021 @ 2:00pm - 3:00pm Eastern Time

A one-hour seminar designed to raise the awareness of Elder Abuse. During this community event, we will learn what Elder Abuse is, how to recognize and respond to it, and valuable strategies to prevent Elder Abuse from happening. Everyone is welcome! Let's plan to protect! Click Here to register.

FREE Special Interest Webinar - Vulnerability Series: Why Are Women Still One of the Most Vulnerable Among Us?

June 17, 2021 @ 12:00pm - 1:00pm Eastern Time

We live in awful and wonderful times. We all live with daily violence in our homes and cities. Women live with domestic violence in every country of our world. There are more women in positions of great power. And yet discriminatory notions persist worldwide including Canada and United States. In this webinar, Melodie Bissell will unpack why in 2021 women continue to find themselves in vulnerable positions, and how we can combat the injustices women face. Click Here for registration details.

FREE Special Interest Webinar - Vulnerability Series: Recognizing and Supporting Vulnerable Men

June 24, 2021 @ 12:00pm - 1:00pm Eastern Time

Join Cedric Wai for this webinar as he unpacks some important questions about men and vulnerability. What are some issues that men of today face which contribute to their vulnerability? How do we recognize when one is vulnerable? How can we help men when they are wrestling with their vulnerabilities? Click Here for registration details.

June 15, 2021 @ 12:30pm - 1:00pm Eastern Time This is a complimentary webinar. Register to participate LIVE with Q&A time, or to receive access to an instant replay.  Click Here for details and registration.

June 17, 2021 @ 8:00pm - 9:30pm Eastern Time This webinar is great for individuals and groups who need to be refreshed in Plan to Protect® policies and procedures. Click Here for details and registration.

June 19, 2021 @ 1:00pm - 3:30pm Eastern Time Join us for this 2 hour orientation training covering awareness of abuse and so much more! Click here for details and registration.

SEE OUR COMPLETE 2021 TRAINING SCHEDULE AT www.plantoprotect.com/schedule

Become a Member Today!

During the month of June, when you join as a member, we will provide you a complimentary policy for vulnerable adult protection ($100 value)! Memberships begin as low as $225!  Along with a complimentary policy for vulnerable adults, you will receive: Access to Plan to Protect® Updates Plan to Protect® Manual Email and Phone Support Special Interest Webinars Training Registrations for our School Access to our Library of Recorded Webinars Use of our Plan to Protect® Member Logo Networking Opportunities Discounts on our Services CLICK HERE to become a member today.

If you are interested, here are a few additional ways you can participate in the global initiative against Elder Abuse, in order join the movement:

1. Register for a free online event for Canadians The June 15 webinar, entitled ‘Aging with Rights: Ending Elder Abuse in Canada’, is the main event of WEAAD (World Elder Abuse Awareness Day) 2021. It’s a not-to-be-missed interactive national event that brings together a panel of experts, political figures, advocates and concerned people like you to engage in an inspiring discussion about how we, as a country, can fight elder abuse and protect the rights of older people. Make sure you secure your seat quickly, as space is limited - (and share widely with your networks!). REGISTER HERE

2. Visit the website Visit the dedicated website at www.WEAAD.ca. This page will serve as the central hub of the campaign, and will contain everything you need to get informed and get engaged: Registration link for the webinar Statistics about elder abuse in Canada Social media messages you can share to speak out on the rights of older Canadians Downloadable posters and social media cards

3. Speak out Spreading awareness is a key part of WEAAD. During this campaign, you will get a chance to: Share pre-written social media posts about elder abuse and promoting the WEAAD campaign (watch out for those coming soon!). Share strong pre-written messages of support for seniors’ human rights. They will be posted on the WEAAD.ca website. All you need to do is click on each message to share them across your social networks! Use #RightsDoNotGetOld and #WEAAD2021 on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, etc., to share how you and your organization are taking action to end elder abuse every day. Download and use the posters to show your support of seniors’ rights. Share them on social media with #RightsDoNotGetOld and #WEAAD2021. 

Please note we have postponed our Plan to Protect® Masterclass: Serious About Safety Workshop to August 23rd! Register Here for our upcoming Serious About Safety MasterClass that will be held in August.