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Gaps in elder protection Behchoko man fears for his parents' safety while he is at work
Lyndsay Herman
Northern News Services
Published Monday, August 12, 2013
BEHCHOKO/RAE-EDZO
An adult son sees gaps in protection for seniors and is looking for solutions to keep them safe from harassment.
"This is an ongoing problem and it's causing me stress," said Tony Dryneck of Behchoko, who works on rotation at an NWT mine. "I feel like leaving my job so I can babysit my parents and sacrifice my employment, which I shouldn't have to do because I can't be living off my parents' pension."
Dryneck says a community member is harassing his elderly parents. The emotional and financial abuse causes them fear and stress, he said.
A peace bond has been placed on the individual on multiple occasions, he said, but a language barrier and fear prevent his parents from being able to report the abuse when it's happening when he's not home.
"The RCMP, social services, they do all they (can)," said Dryneck. "It's the repercussions (of this person) coming back to them and when I'm not there, they don't have anybody. I put in the peace bond and yet ... when I'm back at work, (the person) comes and confronts them, knowing I'm not there."
In 2011, the NWT Seniors' Society released the report Making Connections: Building Networks to Prevent Abuse of Older Adults.
The Making Connections report noticed gaps in support for elders experiencing abuse.
"In the NWT, abuse of older adults is addressed under the broad umbrella of family violence," it states. "The appropriateness of continuing to address abuse of older adults within this broad framework is contentious. Some service providers and policy makers contend that it gets lost among family violence initiatives and should be treated as a standalone issue ... Whether within or outside the family violence frame, service providers and policy makers agreed that distinct and separate approaches are required to respond to the unique needs and circumstances of elders/seniors, including the needs of older men who experience abuse."
The Department of Health and Social Services was unable to speak to News/North about resources available to elders experiencing abuse by press deadline.
A seniors' information handbook is available on the department's social services home page and lists the Community Counselling Program, YWCA Yellowknife, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, The NWT Seniors' Society, the departments of Health and Social Services and Justice, and the RCMP as resources for elders experiencing various forms of abuse.
The Making Connections report states 71 per cent of older adults surveyed said abuse of older adults was a problem in their communities and 28 per sent said they did not know if it was a problem.
The most common form of abuse identified, at 77 per cent, was financial, followed closely by neglect at 68 per cent and emotional abuse at 63 per cent.
Additionally, the report found "there is a high level of uncertainty and silence about abuse" and minimal data available about elder abuse in the NWT apart from the report itself.
Dryneck said he has been hearing about situations similar to his from other families, particularly since he's been vocal about the issue.
Dryneck said he's looking for additional legislation or a more community-based approach to keeping his parents safe, such as a similar arrangement to a Traditional Sentencing Circle which involves the community in the sentencing of someone convicted of a crime.
He said he plans to contact his MLA to start a discussion about what kind of options might help his parents and others in their situation.
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