Elder Abuse E-Bulletin June 2011 - Public Health Agency of Canada

New in the National Clearinghouse on Family Violence

View our online inventory of elder abuse resources from across Canada and abroad. This inventory is a collection of resources developed by various organizations. It includes information sheets, research reports, discussion papers and toolkits

New Tools from the National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly (NICE)

A number of new prevention, detection and intervention tools are available, including:

To order a copy or preview PDF versions please visit www.nicenet.ca. For tools still under development feel free to contact Alison Leaney, National Project Coordinator for more information at: alison.leaney@nicenet.ca or at (604) 865-0776.

Defining and Measuring Elder Abuse and Neglect: Preparatory Work Required to Measure Prevalence of Abuse and Neglect of Older Adults in Canada. NICE has finalized clear definitions of elder abuse and neglect based on consensus among key researchers and stakeholders. As a next step to help determine the prevalence of abuse and neglect among seniors, NICE developed a series of draft questionnaires aimed at seniors in the community and in institutional settings. These instruments are currently being validated through selected samples of older adults, including those from Canada's largest ethnic groups. An interviewer's guide and a resource manual will also be created, and interviewer training will be undertaken. It is hoped that the final definitions and measurement instruments of this research program will be used domestically and internationally for large or small-scale prevalence studies, in order to foster comparability. For more information, please visit the National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly website.

ONPEA's Elder Abuse Identification Reference Tool for Pharmacists

Pharmacists are in a unique position to notice trends and risk factors that are precursors to abuse and neglect for their older clients. With support from the Seniors Health Research Transfer Network, the Ontario Network for Prevention of Elder Abuse (ONPEA) recently created an Identification Reference Tool designed specifically to help pharmacists recognize signs of elder abuse. Links to educational and community resources are provided to help raise awareness about elder abuse among elderly clients and where they can find help. Increasing Awareness of Elder Abuse - A Guideline for Pharmacists (PDF Document) was launched at the Ontario Pharmacy Association Conference in Niagara Falls in June 2010. The Ontario Association of Pharmacists also published information about elder abuse and the new tool in their 2010 summer issue of OPA Today newsletter. These resources are available through Regional Elder Abuse Consultants or ONPEA by telephone at: (416) 916-6728 or by e-mail at: info@onpea.org.

Coming Soon!

Reports

Alzheimer Society of Canada - Elder Abuse Project provides a collection and assessment of the most promising approaches in elder abuse prevention and intervention when cognitive impairment is a factor. This project reviews existing knowledge and tools and highlights current issues and challenges in preventing elder abuse from the perspectives of individuals with dementia, their caregivers and Alzheimer Society staff. The results will inform future directions in education, training and tool development. Visit www.alzheimer.ca for a copy of this report, due out June 2011.

PHAC Report on the Public Health Component of the Federal Elder Abuse Initiative (FEAI) is a succinct, user-friendly report which includes a discussion of elder abuse and highlights the new findings from PHAC’s recent work under the FEAI. Key findings and conclusions will serve to foster and advance work in the areas of research, development of promising approaches, screening, assessment and interventions for health care providers. It also serves as a useful guide for policy and program development. For release in late 2011 on the website of PHAC's Division of Aging and Seniors.

Executive summaries of the following publications will be available online in September 2011. Full PDF copies will be made available upon request by emailing: seniors-aines@phac-aspc.gc.ca

Promising Approaches for Addressing/Preventing Abuse of Older Adults in First Nations Communities: A Critical Analysis and Environmental Scan of Tools and Approaches provides an unprecedented Canadian collection and assessment of culturally-appropriate resources to prevent and respond to the abuse of older adults in First Nations Communities. It highlights new information and resources for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal public health and front line workers. It is also intended to inform program and policy development to ensure culturally-sensitive policies and practices. The scan was developed jointly by PHAC’s Division of Aging and Seniors and Health Canada’s First Nations and Inuit Home and Community Care Division, in consultation with stakeholders from First Nations communities.

Elder Care, Elder Abuse and Neglect: An International Literature Review provides critical insight on the interplay of family caregiving, as it relates to elder abuse and neglect in Canada, the UK, New Zealand, Australia and the USA. Aimed at health professionals and allied workers, this publication provides information about risk assessment for abuse or neglect by family caregivers and appropriate supports. It also provides recommendations regarding screening and assessment to assist health care professionals and others assess family members’ level of risk for abuse or neglect.

Snapshot 2009: Promising Approaches in the Prevention of Abuse and Neglect of Older Adults in Community Settings in Canada provides the most complete picture of promising approaches to prevent abuse and neglect of older adults in Canadian community settings. This publication will be of interest to program and policy makers, legislators, practitioners, as well as public health and community organizations. It distinguishes and expands on the three levels of elder abuse prevention, highlights a number of new ‘promising approaches’ since 2007, and builds on previous findings produced by the Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (CNPEA).

Elder Abuse in Canada: A Gender-Based Analysis, 2009 includes guidelines for creating and evaluating bias-free, gender- and culturally-relevant policies and practices to respond more effectively to the needs of both older men and women in situations of abuse.

Environmental Scan and Critical Analysis of Elder Abuse Screening, Assessment and Intervention Tools for Canadian Health Care Providers, 2009 discusses specific issues regarding screening and assessment approaches. Particularly, it highlights the need to consider the diversity of seniors in Canada and avoid causing further harm or infringing on the rights of the older person.

Resources

The Assessment of the Ability of the EASI-sa to Identify Indicators Suggestive of Elder Abuse is an assessment of the Elder Abuse Suspicion Index--Self Administered (EASI-sa) tool. This was adapted from the EASI- Physician Administered, developed by Dr. Mark Yaffe. This assessment will enable direct comparisons between the frequency of identical EASI and EASI-sa questions identified by responders as positive. For more information, please contact Mark Yaffe, Associate Professor of Family Medicine, McGill University and St. Mary's Hospital Center at mark.yaffe@mcgill.ca.

Communi-Kit: An Elder Abuse Assessment Tool will assist health care practitioners and others to communicate with older adults affected by aphasia (due to a stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, ALS etc.). Language is a critical component for screening and assessing a situation of elder abuse. Few tools of this sort exist and there is an increasing demand for them as the Canadian population ages. Available in June 2011 on the Durham Elder Abuse Network website.

Facts on Elder Abuse Quiz is a tool for training, education and awareness geared to a variety of audiences (e.g. professionals, older adults, students). Based on facts, it is a test of knowledge and intended to generate discussion. It includes two versions; Quiz 1 can be used as an introduction to generate discussion; and Quiz 2 can be used as a conclusion and to measure learning. Will be available in June 2011 in French, the English version is expected in 2012. For more information please contact Marie Beaulieu, Research Chair on elder abuse, Université de Sherbrooke at Marie.Beaulieu@USherbrooke.ca.

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