A new strategy facilitated by numerous foothills organizations is providing greater support in recognizing and responding to elder abuse.

The Coordinated Community Response (CCR) to Elder Abuse strategy has been created by service providers, who will collectively pool time and resources to implement education, training, and response to elder abuse.

Julie Leggett, Elder Abuse CCR Facilitator, says numerous organizations have joined the CCR to Elder Abuse steering committee.

"The model itself is based on existing resources, and on organizations' capacities and mandates to be able to respond to elder abuse," she says. "So what we've done over the last year and a half is we've pulled together a steering committee with key stakeholders in our community. Together with that leadership we've combined the collective knowledge, resources, and skills of that group and broader community to pull together our model."

The steering committee is comprised of representatives from Okotoks, High River, Turner Valley, Black Diamond and the Municipal District of Foothills. The members come from organizations including RCMP, Foothills Victim Services, Alberta Health Services, Calgary Rural Primary Care Network, Westwinds Communities, Rowan House Society, and FCSS programs.

Leggett shares elder abuse is becoming an increasingly important issue to address as the population continues to age.

"For the first time in our history as a country we're seeing seniors over the age of 65 increasing beyond those under the age of 15. We're expecting this aging trend to increase at an unprecedented rate as baby boomers age over the next decade."

Elder abuse can take many forms including financial, psychological, sexual and physical, Leggett shares it's generally underreported.

"At this point in time it's really under the radar, for every one case of elder abuse that comes to the attention of a responsible entity, another 23 cases never come to light. At this point we're just touching the tip of the ice berg, we need to start talking about it, what it is, how to recognize it, and what to do about it."

The CCR model has been completed and is in the early stages of implementation, over the next three to six months it will be introduced to core responders, support organizations, and the general community.

"We all have a shared responsibility in preventing and responding to elder abuse; whether you're a professional, an individual, or part of family. Everyone in our community needs to be aware of how to identify elder abuse, how to respond, and where to get help."

For more information contact the Okotoks Family Resource Centre at 403.995.2626 or High River FCSS at 403.652.8620.

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