By Ryan Pilon

Raising awareness about elder abuse

Jun 16, 2011 | 6:52 AM

Senior citizens gathered at the Heritage Center for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day to learn about the serious issue.

Sgt. Brent Kalinowski with the Prince Albert Police Service was a special guest speaker.

The problem does occur within the city in a variety of circumstances, whether it be neglect, physical abuse or emotional abuse, he said.

“What’s unique with them is they get financial abuse (as well), which is people coming in, taking money from them, policing their bank accounts, controlling their money, either through intimidation or violence, or saying, ‘I’m not going to come see you if you don’t give me some money,’” said Kalinowski.

“It just seems tragic that after all the years they put into the communities and their families they’re getting victimized, often by their own family members.”

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Fern Fernie, a volunteer with the Community Against Family Violence, said she’s been called numerous times about the issue.

“For example, a granddaughter arrives every month at her grandparent’s home when the cheques come, and she takes them, and the grandparents are left without any money, they can’t pay their bills, they can’t eat properly, and their quality of life is very poor,” Fernie said.

Bill Norman is a senior citizen and while he said he’s never personally been victimized, he knows of others who have been abused.

“They were taken away from their friends and isolated from people and that’s a major thing when you get old,” said Norman.

“After a while they didn’t want to get out, they were kind of like a hermit, they just stayed in their room and that’s the way it was.”

Kalinowski said as many calls as police get about the issue, he knows that many incidents never get reported.

“Either through shame, or fear of reprisals from who they’re being victimized from, they just don’t report it,” said Kalinowski.

Another difficulty is that at times, elder abuse isn’t a criminal act. Police can’t do much for a family member continually requests money and will use a threat such as never visiting them again to get it.

“Those types of things are morally wrong, obviously, but criminally, there’s not a lot to that act to prosecute a charge,” said Kalinowski.

Fernie said they are hoping to get senior advocates in place because there are lots of great services available to senior citizens who are abused, but not many seniors know how to access them.

The advisers would also work closely with the police, seniors, and seniors’ family members as well.

rpilon@panow.com