More than 150 people gathered at a conference Friday to discuss new measures to combat elder abuse.
READ MORE: Federal government funds Quebec project to fight senior abuse
The event was organized by the West Island Health and Social Services Government Agency.
Expert panelists, including former cabinet ministers, lawyers and police officers addressed the crowd at the Douglas Hospital in LaSalle.
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READ MORE: Montreal police looking to share results of project to counter elder abuse
They found that in Quebec, the number of cases involving abuse against the elderly and vulnerable has increased along with the age of the population — and 71 per cent of victims are women.
Overall, most cases of elder abuse are financial, where seniors are considered vulnerable.
Most cases of abuse are against seniors above the age of 80.
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Police officers said Friday they have a new anti-senior abuse program.
All authorities with the Montreal police are trained to deal with abuse cases, even if charges aren’t being laid.
Under Bill 115, the Quebec government said it is taking steps to fight the mistreatment of seniors and others.
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People attending the conference said they hope they can use the information to continue fighting elder abuse.
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