SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - People rarely talk about it, but abuse toward elders happens all too frequently across the territory.

"There's not a requirement anywhere, really, to keep a record of the number of incidences of elder abuse so we don't really have a hard number on just how prevalent it is," said Angus Mackay, director of educational programs for the society. "We just have the strong anecdotal evidence that it's a big problem."

The NWT Senior's Society is trying to get to the roots of the problem with its first symposium on elder abuse in Yellowknife at the end of the month, (Nov. 30 - Dec. 1) before which the group hired Lutra Associates Ltd. to survey 500 NWT residents across 11 different communities, asking if or how physical, financial, verbal or sexual abuse toward elders affected their lives.

"Basically every one of the people that we talked to indicated that they felt elder abuse was a big issue," Mackay said from his office in Yellowknife. "People tend not to speak out about it for a variety of reasons. A lot of folks indicated they didn't realize things like physical, sexual and financial abuse are actually crimes and punishable under the law."

"Oftentimes people will say, 'yeah, we have a problem but we don't know where to get help or who can help us.'"

The symposium, the first of its kind in the area, aims to encourage discussion on the matter and help elders and their families build a support network in their communities that can be used in times of need.

Although many cases of elder abuse - often at the hands of a family member - go unreported, Mackay said those victims who do report the crime end up having to deal with an intervention, emergency protection order or change in guardianship.

"If you're a frail elder, you've almost got to give up some of your rights and freedoms in order to feel safe," Mackay said.

"So we've got to look at other ways of ensuring the safety and security of our elders without infringing upon their rights and freedoms."

The symposium is open to seniors and caregivers across the territory and is set to include a variety of guest speakers who have worked with NWT elders and who specialize in family violence.

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