Elder abuse is a serious issue, with older adults sometimes facing physical, verbal, financial mistreatment, or neglect. Recognizing the signs of elder abuse and knowing where to find support is crucial.
What is elder abuse?
Elder abuse is the mistreatment of an older adult by a caretaker, such as a spouse, family member, friend, or hired support worker. Identifiers of elder abuse can include:
- Physical, verbal, or financial abuse.
- Not receiving adequate food or medical attention.
- If the individual frequently feels threatened, humiliated, and/or unsafe.
Senior Support Team of Waterloo Region
The Senior Support Team of Waterloo Region is a partnership between the Waterloo Regional Police and Ontario Health atHome. They provide education on how to recognize, prevent, and report elder abuse. They also connect people affected by elder abuse to the support/resources needed.
Elder abuse resources
Elder Abuse Provincial Council
Senior Support Team Pamphlet (English)
Senior Support Team Pamphlet (French)
Senior Support Team Pamphlet (Hindi)
Senior Support Team Pamphlet (Mandarin)
Senior Support Team Pamphlet (Punjabi)
Senior Support Team Pamphlet (Spanish)
More Safety Tips for Seniors
Apartment buildings and care facilities
- Always make sure to lock your door.
- Do not allow someone you don’t know into your building.
- Do not keep large quantities of money in your suite.
- Use your eye viewer (“peep hole”) to see who is knocking. If you don’t recognize the person, or they cannot provide identification for who they say they are, do not open the door.
General Personal Safety
- Do not carry large quantities of cash when you go out.
- Carry a cell phone for emergency purposes.
Scams and Identity Theft
- Never provide personal information over the phone or the internet to someone you don’t know.
- Protect your bank and credit cards PINs, and do not share them with anyone.
- Only go to reputable websites online.