Reports & Research

STATISTICS

INTO THE LIGHT: NATIONAL SURVEY ON THE MISTREATMENT OF OLDER CANADIANS  2015
National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly, 2015

A Canadian prevalence study of the five forms of mistreatment was conducted through direct respondent interviews with older adults nation-wide residing in community dwellings. The study revealed the prevalence for elder abuse in Canada for the last year was 7.5% (physical,sexual, psychological and financial                                          abuse) representing 695,248 older Canadians.

A Focus on Family Violence in Canada
The Chief of Public Health Officers Report on the State of Public Health in Canada 2016

Despite the work of many researchers, health care professionals, organizations and communities, we still do not have a good understanding of why family violence happens, nor do we know how best to intervene.  The report, indicates an estimated 766,000 or 8% of Canadians over the age of 55 years said they had or neglect from a family member in the previous year. This report sheds light on a topic that can be hard to talk about.

Ontario Population Projections Update, 2013 – 2041
Ministry of Finance, 2014
Census data from the Ministry of Finance, indicates Ontario is facing a significant demographic shift. The number of seniors aged 65 and over is projected to more than double from almost 2.1 million, or 15.2 per cent of population, in 2013 to over 4.5 million, or 25.5 per cent, by 2041. The growth in the share and number of seniors will accelerate over the 2013–2031 period as baby boomers turn age 65. After 2031, the growth in the number of seniors will slow significantly.

 Family violence in Canada: A statistical profile, 2016

Section 5: Police-reported family violence against seniors. Using data from the 2016 Incident‑based Uniform Crime Reporting Survey and the 2016 Homicide Survey, this section presents information on police‑reported family violence against seniors aged 65 and older. The following analysis highlights the prevalence of violent offences against seniors where the perpetrator is a family member.  For the first time in 2016, this section also includes an analysis of persons accused of family violence against seniors. Information on the sex and age of those accused of family‑related violent crime provides insight into the dynamics underpinning violent family contexts.

Family violence in Canada: A statistical profile, 2013
Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, January 15, 2015
Section 4: Family violence against seniors – Using police-reported data1 from the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey, this section examines the extent to which Canadian seniors (aged 65 and over), nationally, provincially/territorially and across the country’s census metropolitan areas (CMAs) were the victims of a violent crime at the hands of a family member.

Measuring violence against women Statistical Trends
Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics Released on February 25, 2013
The current report includes information on Aboriginal women and women living in Canada’s territories, dating violence, violence against girls and violence that occurs outside of the intimate partner/family context. It also shows trends over time and provides data at national, provincial/territorial, and census metropolitan area levels. A study on the economic impacts of one form of violence against women, spousal violence, is also presented.

Elder Abuse Prevalence and Incidence 
Fact Sheet, National Center on Elder Abuse

REPORT

White Paper on Ontario’s Aging Francophone Population  (Toronto, Oct. 2019)

Increase the availability of relevant and up-to-date data; reduce the vulnerability of Francophone seniors in Ontario; increase the offer of long-term care services in French; adopt an integrated approach to aging; exert pressure at the municipal level. These five recommendations are at the heart of the White Paper on Ontario’s Aging Francophone Population, which was unveiled on the eve of the International Day of Older Persons by the Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario (AFO) and its partner, the Fédération des aînés et des retraités francophones de l’Ontario (FARFO).

SAGE Global Report 2018: Public Attitudes Toward Aging Sexual and Gender Minorities Around the World (NYC, July 2018).

This survey produces critically important data to understand the social attitudes that reinforce this discrimination and isolation, an invaluable first step toward breaking the invisibility and focusing attention on the needs of these highly vulnerable elders.  This survey data provides a veritable breadth of quantifiable evidence of public attitudes. Many respondents live in environments that are hostile to sexual orientation (SO) or gender identity (GI) minorities.1 SAGE’s participation in this year’s survey brings a generational lens to the data for the first time.  Read Report

AGING WITH CONFIDENCE: Ontario’s Action Plan for Seniors

Aging with Confidence: Ontario’s Action Plan for Seniors, which outlines our government’s ongoing plan to help Ontario seniors remain independent, healthy and socially connected at all stages of their lives.

Ontario’s vision is to help seniors remain independent, healthy and active, safe and socially connected. Aging with Confidence is the province’s
ongoing plan to support the older and aging population that it serves.  The new investment of $6.7 million over 3 years will support efforts to educate, train and better support abused older adults.  Read full Plan

Ending Elder Abuse: Breaking the Generational Cycle of Violence – CSW60 Side Event

Agenda 2030 provided an opportunity to correct the oversight of older women in the previous goals. The SDG (#5) on gender equality addresses violence against women and girls but it cannot stop measurement at age 49! Elder abuse, including violence, neglect, or nancial exploitation from a partner, a caregiver or any person must be recognized as a human rights issue and one that covers women of all ages in addition to girls. This session presented available data on the issue of abuse and violence against older women. Recognizing there are higher rates of elder abuse in countries where gender disparities between women and men are more severe, elder abuse remains a global problem. Recommendations for program improvements, data collection and further research were offered.

CSW60 side event organized by the Permanent Mission of Argentina to the United Nations.

An Evidence Informed National Seniors Strategy for Canada

Section 1: Independent, Productive and Engaged Citizens, reports on: Addressing Ageism, Elder Abuse, and Social Isolation which provides and overview of two specific consequences often linked to ageism: elder abuse and social isolation.

2015 White House Conference On Aging

In 2014, the Department of Justice released the Elder Justice Roadmap — a set of consensus policy recommendations. The White House Conference on Aging built upon these recommendations to identify elder justice as a priority issue and further elevate this important topic.

Government of Canada Action for Seniors Report
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, 2014
The report provides an overview of various Government of Canada programs and initiatives that are helping seniors, so  that we may overcome the challenges and enjoy the opportunities that will come with this new population profile.

National Strategy For Financial Literacy
Phase 1: Strengthening Seniors’ Financial Literacy
National Steering Committee on Financial Literacy, Government of Canada, October, 2014

The mission for the Seniors’ Financial Literacy Strategy: To strengthen the financial literacy of current and future seniors by increasing their knowledge, skills and confidence to make responsible financial decisions.

National Seniors Council Report on Social Isolation of Seniors 2014
National Seniors Council, November 24, 2014
The report is based on what was heard during consultations and includes advice on the role that the Government of Canada could play to help address the social isolation of seniors in Canada.

Elder Abuse in Canada – A Gender Based Analysis Summary
Division of Aging and Seniors, Public Health Agency of Canada, 2013

Legal Framework for the Law of Older Adults LCO Report FINAL REPORT
Law Commission of Ontario, April 2012

The Framework emphasizes that dignity and worth, independence and autonomy, participation and inclusion, security, diversity and individuality and the reciprocal rights and obligations that accompany membership in the broader community should define all our lives, including those of older adults

Elder and Guardianship Mediation A Report
Canadian Centre for Elder Law, January 2012

The Report is the culmination of three years of research and consultation on the complex and overlapping areas of elder mediation and guardianship mediation. The report provides expert guidance in support of changes that need to be made in the province of BC when the existing adult guardianship mediation provisions are proclaimed.

REPORT Long-Term Care Task Force on Resident Care and Safety
May 2012

The Task Force’s report identifies 18 actions developed by the long-term care sector to improve the care and safety of residents.

Worldwide Face of Elder Abuse
International Federation on Aging, July 2011

A Global Response To Elder Abuse And Neglect: Building Primary Health Care Capacity To Deal With The Problem Worldwide 
World Health Organization, January 2008
WHO with partners conducted a study in order to develop a strategy to prevent elder abuse within the primary health care (PHC) context. The study consisted of a qualitative research project in eight participating countries focused on testing questions originally devised by researchers in Montreal. These questions were aimed at raising awareness among PHC professionals of the issue of elder abuse.

 Strengthening Older People’s Rights: Towards a UN Convention 2010

This publication was produced to strengthen understanding and awareness of the need for a Convention on the Rights of Older Persons. It aims to provide the arguments and tools for engaging stakeholders across the globe in debate about older people’s rights and the role of a convention.

Political Declaration and Madrid International Plan of Action and Ageing
World Assembly on Ageing, 2002
The first United Nations World Assembly on Ageing was held in 1982. The United Nations Principles for Older Persons, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1991,[11] were intended to provide guidelines regarding the entitlements of older persons. Signatory states were encouraged to incorporate those guidelines into national programmes, including legislation.

 The Toronto Declaration on the Global Prevention of Elder Abuse
 World Health Organization, November, 2002

 Missing Voices: Views of Older Persons on Elder Abuse
 World Health Organization March 2002
A study from eight countries: Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Canada, India, Kenya, Lebanon and Sweden. This report    presents the design and   findings of the study, and the conclusions of a meeting aimed at identifying the indications  for policy, research and action emerging from     these study findings. Reports from each country prepared by the    national teams were reviewed and analysed.

RESEARCH

ELDER ABUSE

Elder Abuse: Systematic Review and Implications for Practice
Dong, Xin Qi. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 63:1214–1238, 2015

Elder Abuse
Lachs, M. and Pillemer, K.  The new England Journal of Medicine. 2015;373:1947-56.

Rethinking Elder Abuse in Canada and Why it Matters
McDonald, L. : May 27, 2013
Gerontology – 22nd Annual Friesen Conference-Taboo Topics in Residential Care  (video public lecture)

Theoretical Model Development in Elder Mistreatment
Burnight K, and Mosqueda L.: 2011
National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice

Aging, Ageism and Abuse: Moving from Awareness to Action
Gloria Gutman and Charmaine Spencer
Publisher: Amsterdam ; Boston : Elsevier,  Feb 18 2010

DEMENTIA & ELDER ABUSE

Older Adult Abuse And Dementia: A Literature Review
Alzheimer Society of Canada, December 2010

People with Dementia as Witnesses to Emotional Events
Wiglesworth A, Mosqueda L.: 2011
National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE/SEXUAL ABUSE

Violence Against Older Women.  HelpAge  Discussion Paper, November 2017. HelpAge International London, UK

Malmedal, W., Iversen, M.H., & Kilvik. A. (2014) Sexual Abuse-of-Older-Nursing-Home-Residents-A-Literature-Review-2014. Nursing Research and Practice Volume 2015, Article ID 90251.

Sutton, D. & Dawson, M. (January 2017). Femicide of Older Women. Learning Network Brief (31). London, Ontario: Learning Network, Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children. www.vawlearningnetwork.ca

Pietsch, N. (July 2015). Sexual Femicide. Learning Network Brief (30). London, Ontario: Learning Network, Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children. www.vawlearningnetwork.ca

Domestic Violence Risk Assessment: Informing Safety Planning & Risk Management Domestic Homicide Brief 2
Campbell, M., Hilton, NZ., Kropp, PR., Dawson, M., Jaffe, P. (2016). Domestic Violence Risk Assessment: Informing Safety Planning & Risk Management. Domestic Homicide Brief (2). London, ON: Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Initiative.

Intergeneratioinal Violence
Petosic, T. et al. February, 2015.  Ryerson Centre for Immigrant and Settlement, Ryerson University.

The Development of Promising Practices to Support Older Women Fleeing Violence Process and Outcome Evaluation Findings
Atira Women’s Resource Society. Arbor Educational & Clinical Consulting Inc. April, 2015

Neglect, Abuse and Violence Against Older Women
Division for Social Policy and Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2013

Measuring violence Against Women Statistical Trends
Edited by Maire Sinha. Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics Released on February 25, 2013

More Than Wife Abuse That Has Gone Old: A Conceptual Model for Violence Against the Aged in Canada and the US
Sev’er, A. (SPRING 2009). Journal of Comparative Family Studies, Vol. 40, No. 2, Aging: Families and Households in Global Perspective, pp. 279-292

Sexual Violence in Later Life A Technical Assistance Guide for Advocates
Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

Summary of the Women and the Criminal Justice System
Juristat Article. Statistics Canada, April 1, 2011.

Exploring the Sexual Rights of Older Adults Towards Healthy Sexuality and Freedom from victimization in Later Life
Solomon, J., Connolly, M-T.,  Lachs,  M.,  Ramsey-Klawsnik, H. & Breckman, R &  Callahan, JD. October, 2011
The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Center for Elder Abuse Prevention, Intervention and Research at the Hebrew Home at Riverdale.

Sexual violence in later life A Technical assistance Guide for Advocates
National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 2010.

Outreach Strategies for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Advocates: Reaching Out to Older Victims and Survivors of Abuse
National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life (NCALL)

Sexual Violence In later life
National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 2010 .

Elder Sexual Abuse
Ramsey-Klawsnik, H. (2009). Elder Sexual Abuse. National Association Social Work.

Domestic Abuse in Later Life: Services and Interventions
Brandl, Bonnie and Cook-Daniels Loree,  2002

Age, Gender and Violence: Abuse Against Older Women
Hightower, Jill, Geriatrics and Aging – Volume 7, Number 3: March, 2004

Violence and Abuse in the Lives of Older Women: Is it elder abuse or violence against women? Does it make any difference?“
Hightower, Jill: April, 2002

ABUSE OF OLDER ADULTS – ETHNO-CULTURAL ISSUES

A Study on the Settlement Related Needs of Newly Arrived Immigrant Seniors in Ontario
McDonald, George, Daciuk, Yan and Rowan
Faculty of Social work, University of Toronto: June 2001

What do we know about immigrant seniors aging in Canada? A demographic, socio-economic and health profile
Edward Ng, PhD, Daniel W.L. Lai, PhD, RSW, Aliza T. Rudner, MBA, MPH, & Heather Orpana, PhD
CERIS Working Papers 88-90, February, 2012

Ethnic Communities and the Challenge of Aging
Desai, Kappu; Polyphony, Volume 12, 1990, pp 87-92
Copyright Multicultural Historical Society of Ontario, 1991

Aboriginal Elder Abuse in Canada
Claudette Dumont-Smith, 2002

LGBT and ELDER ABUSE

Robson, C., Gutman, G., Marchbank, J., & Blair, K. (2018). Raising Awareness and Addressing Elder Abuse in the LGBT Community: An Intergenerational Arts Project. Language and Literacy, 20,(3) 46-66.

Mental Health Needs of LGBT Older Adults
Fred Munroe,  CKBX Central Park Public Radio. March 24, 2016.

LGBTQ COMMUNITIES AND HOME CARE Findings From Ontario-Based Research

QUEERING HOME CARE Findings From Ontario-Based Research

Lesbian, Gay Male, Bisexual and Transgendered Elders: Elder Abuse and Neglect Issues
By Loree Cook‐Daniels, Transgender Aging Network, 2002

LEGAL /JUSTICE

Integrated Police Response for Abused Seniors : Practice Guidelines for Implementing the Model Beaulieu, M., Côté, M., Blais, J., Diaz, L., Cloutier, J., Loock, J. & D’Amours, M. (2016). Service de police de la Ville de Montréal. Sherbrooke and Montréal. 39 p.

Legal Capacity, Decision‐Making And Guardianship Discussion Paper
Law Commission of Ontario: May 2014

HEALTH CARE

Caregiving for Older Adults with Disabilities Present Costs, Future Challenges
IRPP Study, December, 2015

Coroners’ Investigations of Suspicious Elder Deaths
Mosqueda L, Wiglesworth A. 2012
National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice

Discussing screening for elder abuse at primary health care level
January, 2008

Identifying abuse in older people
Neno, R. & Neno M. Nursing Standard 20, 3 , 43-47. July, 2005

Long Term Care and Elder Abuse

Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario. Geriatric and Long-Term Care Review Committee 2013-14 Annual Report. October 2015

Old and dangerous: Senior violence is getting worse.  Last year, five elderly Canadians were allegedly killed by other seniors with dementia
Ken MacQueen. Maclean’s Magazine.  January 17, 2014