Do You Recognize an Abused Senior? It’s More Common than You Think.
Posted October 30th, 2007 in Community, Seniors' Issues | 
Bill Gleberzon and Judy Cutler comment on the signs and issues surrounding elder abuse. They suggest that the majority of abuse stems from family members. Astonishingly, as many as one in ten suffer.
I admit, prior to reading the article I didn’t give this issue much thought. It now lingers. I began to reflect on the elderly people I have encountered in my business as a REALTOR®. Given the assumed validity of the statistics noted, it is probable that a slight lack of knowledge may have caused me at some point, to have overlooked a situation.
I have cobbled together the following links to help us recognize the situation. If you are being abused here are some things you need to know.
What can you do about it?
What can you do if you think an adult is abused, neglected or self-neglected and they cannot get help on their own?
Start here:
or see the list below for contacts by phone:
- The British Columbia Law Institute is a great resource for seniors or others to find out what to do if you spot elder abuse. This is their list of places to contact if you need help.
In British Columbia,
- Health and Seniors’ Information Line 1-800-465.4911
- BC Coalition to Eliminate Abuse of Seniors (BCCEAS)
- VictimLINK 1-800-563-0808
- Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-TIPS (8477)
- Public Guardian and Trustee of British Columbia
- Vancouver 604-660-4444
- Victoria 1-250-365-8160
- Kelowna 1-250-712-7576
- To contact their office toll-free, call Enquiry BC 1-800-663-7867 and ask to be transferred to the Public Guardian and Trustee.
Note: I have not checked the phone numbers and assume they are accurate.
