Respect aging Respect Aging: Preventing Violence against Older Persons 1. RECOGNITION 2. PREVENTION 3. INTERVENTION Violence Prevention Initiative

Respect aging In this session Risk factors and protective factors Root causes of violence Self-understanding for violence prevention Safety planning Self-care for helpers

Respect aging Recap Violence definition “Violence against older persons”

Respect aging Why not call it “elder abuse”? Abuse is only one part of the continuum of violence Ageist attitudes Aboriginal perspective

Respect aging Violence prevention principles Right to safe, secure environment Rooted in inequality Expressed through the “isms” Violence is a choice Violence is preventable Everyone’s responsibility

Respect aging Risk factors Personal and health- related Environmental Relationship Societal Protective factors

Respect aging Risk factors Personal and health-related Environmental Relationship Societal Protective factors

Respect aging Violence against older persons Cycle of family violence Intimate partner violence Devaluing and marginalization Isolation = limited access to resource s

Respect aging Control tactics Physical violence Humiliation, jealousy Creating dependency Isolation; watching Minimizing violence Threats

Respect aging Power and control tactics used by perpetrators

Respect aging Perceptions of power

Respect aging Suggestions for helpers Be aware of power imbalances Acknowledge differences in power Provide information See older person as active participant in safety planning Offer choices

Respect aging Restoring power and control to the older person Empowerment through: Information Awareness of options Awareness of choices Involvement in safety planning

Respect aging Tools Power and Control Wheel Advocacy and Empowerment Wheel

POWER AND CONTROL PHYSICAL Using physical force which results in pain or injury SEXUAL Forcing sexual acts or behaviours without consent PSYCHOLOGICAL Ongoing controlling behaviour; isolation EMOTIONAL Specific demeaning tactics such as making threats, intimidation VERBAL Using language to hurt or shame: yelling, lying, insulting FINANCIAL Stealing money; taking over bank accounts or possessions without permission CULTURAL Ignoring or ridiculing cultural traditions SPIRITUAL Not permitting religious observance of person’s choice NEGLECT Failing to meet the needs of the older person

BELIEVE AND VALIDATE Listen to and believe the older person. Acknowledge feelings and emphasize that she/he is not alone. ADVOCACY & EMPOWERMENT ACKNOWLEDGE INJUSTICE The violence perpetrated against the older person is not her/his fault. No one deserves to be harmed. RESPECT AUTONOMY Respect the older person’s right to make decisions about her/his own life. She/he is the expert in her/his own life. RESPECT CONFIDENTIALITY Meet with the older person privately, without caregivers or family members present. This is essential in building trust and ensuring safety. HELP WITH SAFETY PLANNING Help the older person develop a safety plan. Work out a place to go if she/he needs to escape. PROVIDE INFORMATION Provide the older person with information and options so she or he can make choices.

Respect aging Preventing family violence Complex social problem Requires holistic approach including: education raising awareness developing social and life skills involving individuals, families and communities

Respect aging 1. Healthy relationships 6. Communication 2. Self-esteem 3. Appreciating differences 4. Personal safety 5. Understanding family violence Preventing family violence

Respect aging Effective helping depends on self-understanding because how we make a difference in the world is linked to who we are as human beings… Self-understanding

Respect aging Personality factors Dimensions of diversity Principles Values Communication style Past experiences with violence Biases

Respect aging Self-understanding Increase self-awareness; consider who you are as a human being in terms of the factors or dimensions in the previous slide. Reflect on your assumptions, judgments and any stereotypes you might be holding

Respect aging Safety planning A process in which an older person and a trusted helper work together to ensure the older person’s safety in advance of any crisis.

Respect aging 1. Prevention 2. Protection 3. Notification 4. Referral 5. Emotional support Five strategies for safety planning

Respect aging 1. Prevention Preventing future violence

Respect aging 2. Protection Looking at ways older persons can protect themselves during a violent incident

Respect aging 3. Notification Arranging ways to get help in a crisis

Respect aging 4. Referral Finding services that can help

Respect aging 5. Emotional support Finding emotional support and ways to become less isolated

Respect aging Safety planning is NOT… Telling the older person what to do Making referrals Imposing your values Talking to the perpetrator Recommending risky strategies About blaming

Respect aging Helper safety Before you go: Call ahead Cell phone Inform others Don’t go alone Know the area, bring a map Carry only what you need

Respect aging Helper safety During a visit: Do not enter if uneasy Ask driver to wait Give cell number to driver Stay near exit door Check for weapons Leave if threatened Shout “Fire!”

Respect aging Self-care for helpers STRESS  burnout, vicarious trauma

Respect aging Recognizing stress Changes in: How you see yourself and the world Your emotional beliefs and needs Self-care and behaviour Relationships Beliefs about spirituality, meaning, purpose

Respect aging ABCs of healthy self-care A wareness B alance C onnection