Lac La Biche County joined in the commemoration of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) on Thursday, June 13, as the county’s Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) hosted the Senior’s Garden Social.
More than 20 seniors from the area joined FCSS staff at the McArthur Place, where the event was held. The senior’s Garden Social is FCSS’s third time organizing an annual event to mark the day. The event was specifically held to raise awareness and continue the conversation around elder abuse, says Lac La Biche County spokesperson, Jihad Moghrabi.
"It’s important to build awareness of the mistreatment of older adults wherever they live throughout the world, and to highlight the need for prevention efforts," Moghrabi said.
Thursday's Seniors Garden Social featured a keynote speaker from Edmonton, Bill Allen — a former fraud detective with over 30 years of experience.
Allen educated the local senior residents about financial abuse, one of the most common forms of elder abuse. He also named some of the most common scams including the Grandma-Grandpa Scam, Romance Scam, Inheritance Scam, Bank Inspector Scam, the CRA Scam and Identity theft, while also sharing ways to prevent becoming a victim.
He shared some stories of people who have been victimized by fraudsters in the past, which proved to be good examples for the local seniors. During his presentation, Allen said seniors are often targeted because of their generally trusting dispositions ... and their access to money.
"Elders are mostly trusting, they are gullible, they have easy access to money and they lack in knowledge about modern technology which is why they are commonly targeted as victims of financial abuse and fraud," said Allen.
One of the best ways to combat fraud is to talk about the information with friends and family first.
"Communication is the key. Whenever you are not sure, talk to your family, friends. If you don't have your family with you, talk to your neighbours, it is very important to communicate," said Allen.
According to Moghrabi, the Seniors Garden Social was meant to raise awareness about elder abuse — but also provided the local seniors an opportunity to socialize.
"The event was well-attended, and seniors gave us feedback that they enjoyed the guest speaker, the food, and décor," he said.
With Thursday's Garden Social being an annual event, FCSS staff plan to host a Seniors’ Garden Social next year in recognition of WEAAD. They are also continuing to organize other senior-related events throughout year.
"We’ll be taking seniors on four ‘Staycations’, including trips to the Mayfield Dinner Theatre, Prairie Gardens, the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, and a visit to the Royal Alberta Museum. Seniors can also look forward to the annual Seniors’ Holiday Social in December," said Moghrabi.
