WATCH: A new research team is looking at ways to deal with senior abuse, which is expected to rise as the population ages on the east coast. Global’s Brion Robinson reports.
MONCTON – A new research team is looking at ways to deal with senior abuse in Maritimes.
It’s called the Abuse and Neglect of Older Adults Research Team in the Maritimes and includes professors and experts in the field of senior care.
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Dr. Lori Weeks is an associate professor at the Dalhousie School of Nursing and says abuse comes in many forms including physical abuse and neglect.
But she says it’s hard to measure the problem.
“A lot of it is not reported and its hidden,” she said.
An online survey of 17 women’s shelters in the Maritimes provided some numbers. Between 2006 and 2007 the data showed that 29 per cent of women staying the shelters were midlife and older.
“We did a study that looked at older people at one particular point in time and were really surprised in the Atlantic provinces how many women in midlife and older were actually using emergency shelters in the region,” she said.
Groups representing seniors are supporting the team’s work. Jean-Luc Belanger says education is key to dealing with abuse in all its forms.
“It’s really out there, you know,” he said. “We need to address it as much as we can so there’s a lot of work to be done.”
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