Hey there, it's been a little while since I posted, but the reason is because I was just at the Elder Abuse Training & Information Forum which was held earlier this week in Winnipeg, Manitoba. I gave a presentation on the elder abuse research project that I coordinate here in Toronto and also had the opportunity to meet an impressive group of fellow Canadians who work to help and protect older adults through their professions in nursing and medicine, social work, community development, education, policing, and policy development. Connecting with these people was truly inspiring, plus it is always encouraging to know that there are other people out there who care and fight for these issues!
I attended a workshop about inter-generational education (which included a very impressive video called "Seniors Are Cool" which I strongly suggest you check out...I will find the link and post it as soon as I can.) I also learned about Community Response Networks, the law relating Power of Attorney and the rights of older adults in choosing and changing their PoA, how older adults can avoid financial scams, and best practices for non-Aboriginal professionals who are entering First Nations communities to help address issues of mistreatment. There was so much more, this is just a snapshot of some of the things that were covered. More to come soon!
Hey Syd,
ReplyDeleteThe conference sounds neat, I'm glad it went well!
This comment actually relates to the poll on the appropriate term for older adults. In some communities I know, "Elder" is a special term that applies to older individuals who play a certain role in the community, i.e. the label is dependent on more than simply age. Does this ever come up in your work/research?
Thanks Laura!
ReplyDeleteYou make an excellent point and what you say about "elders", specifically in the First Nations context, is absolutely true. It is actually for this reason that my research team has elected to refer to "older adults" instead of elders.
The term seniors is still quite popular which makes sense to me as junior and senior are relatively neutral, and also fairly respectful, connotation wise. I do take issue with the term "elderly" however, because although it is distinct from elder, it still implies frailty in an older adult which perpetuates the ageist view that older people are vulnerable. While that may be true for some, it is certainly not the case for all.
Are there unique issues in Aboriginal elder communities?
ReplyDeleteYes definitely. There is a lot that has gone on to create and perpetuate many of the challenges for older adults in Canadian First Nations communities.
ReplyDeleteThe aftermath of the residential schools, poverty, isolation, limited resources, and other health risk factors all contribute to unique context for aging and caregiving.
There are some really interesting projects happening right now to capture the individual narratives of Aboriginal Elder Women in the context of abuse - I will see if I can find some more information to post. I will also see if I can find some material that talks about the meaning of the word Elder in the Aboriginal context differentiated from the word in the aging context.
Thanks for the comments!