9 June 2021
World Elderly Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) 2021 is commemorated on 15June and is an official United Nations Day acknowledging the significance of Elder Abuse as a public health and human rights issue.
Since 2006, communities around the world have honoured this day to raise the visibility of Elder Abuse by organising events to share information and promote resources and services that can help to increase the safety and wellbeing of the elder population.
Because ‘our elders matter’, a Committee comprising various St Helena Government (SHG) and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) are raising awareness of Elder Abuse through radio interviews, hosting a tea party for residents of the Princess Royal Community Care Centre (CCC) for our elders who are in sheltered accommodations, visiting the sick elderly in the hospital, presenting gifts to elders of all religions/faiths and hosting a radio show dedicated to our elders. The United Nations are thanked once again for funding this event.
Domestic Abuse Service Lead, Debbie Knipe, commented:
“St Helena is a small community however the similarities of global issues remain the same, therefore we are no exception.
“Elder Abuse on the Island is a significant issue as is in most other countries around the world and we need to take steps to address it.
“We all deserve to be happy and healthy and live a life free of abuse yet older people can be mistreated.
“Elder Abuse can be prevented and this depends on us because the power to prevent abuse is in our hands. We need to speak up if we know of an elderly person who is being mistreated.”
Elder Abuse can take many forms such as, neglect, emotional, physical and financial abuse, as well as abandonment.
Domestic Abuse Service Lead, Debbie Knipe, concluded:
“Let us work together as a community and protect our elders by building strong support for them. By doing this we will give them the love, care, attention and respect they rightly deserve. Our commitment to their support will allow them to grow old feeling safe, healthy, cared for, loved and respected. Our elder people have already contributed in many ways to our community, we now need to appreciate them.”
On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, let us stand up for the Human Rights of our elders and show our support for the people who have contributed to the society we now enjoy.
#StHelena #AltogetherSafer #WEAAD
SHG
9 June 2021