Shantel Ottenbriet is a City Community Resource worker based out of the Veiner Centre, a trained Social Worker and Chair of the Provincial Elder Abuse Council
She advised there is Elder abuse in Medicine Hat even though we may find that hard to believe.The last census shows 19,995 adults over 55 years, less than 2,000 have experienced Elder Abuse. Not all cases are reported.
Definition of Elder Abuse is: ‘Action or inaction by a person in a trust position towards an Elder’
Types of Abuse: Neglect, Financial, Physical, Mental, Health
Local Activities: Local Coalition formed to provide training to professionals in this field.
Local Resources: Pocket Toolkit - to educate and provide strategies to identify and deal with abuse.
Notice Me campaign on Facebook & Instagram to raise awareness.
Core Alberta is providing information at a provincial level to make more people aware, through promotion, sharing ideas and best practices.
Situation in Medicine Hat.
· Active thriving coalition.
· Working with province on updates to ‘Power of Attorney’ legislation
· Need for Case worker (Dedicated staff) funding required. Shantel is currently handling some cases but only within the City so need for someone who could cover city & district.
· Concerns may be an increase due to isolation as a result of COVID 19.
Veiner Centre which is a resource to seniors currently closed but they are looking at ways to open and provide the activities/services while adhering to the COVID guidelines. I.E how do you social distance & play cards? Sanitizing issues, etc. The City may also be looking for new model to run the Veiner Centre. A copy of Shantel's presentation is loaded into the Club Documents section of our website.
Following a Q & A Session, President Margie thanked our speaker.