MP Alice Wong made her way to Richmond Wednesday morning to announce funding for Volunteer Richmond Information Services (VRIS).
The organization received close to $25,000 to develop new information material to raise awareness of elder abuse, including power of attorney rights and responsibilities.
We dont have specific numbers, but [elder abuse is] something weve been hearing among the seniors we serve, said Jocelyn Wong of VRIS. It usually comes up when seniors ask for support in other areas. Then other issues come out. They dont know theyre being abused or taken advantage of.
Four to 10 per cent of seniors experience some form of abuse in Canada, but only one in five report it, according to Alice Wong.
We want to foster the social participation and inclusion of seniors across the country and make sure no one takes advantage of them, she said. We tend to focus more on spectacular issues like the environment and wars, but we often forget other issues that fester beneath the surface.
Some of the most common forms of elder abuse come from the handling of finances and when power of attorney is granted.
The VRIS plans to provide material and resources for seniors to educate themselves about their rights when they give power of attorney, as the process can be difficult to understand.
It will also encourage people to start the planning process early when they still have the ability to do so.
Alice Wong also acknowledged the process is complicated for power of attorneys themselves. More and more people find themselves sandwiched between caring for their parents and their own children, adding pressure.
The VRIS program will raise awareness for families about the challenges accompanied with being the power of attorney as well, so people know where to go for help and support, said Wong.
Funding comes from the federal governments New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP), which supports community-based projects that improve the lives of seniors.
Eligible organizations can receive up to $25,000 if their projects address at least one of the five objectives: volunteering, mentoring, raising awareness of elder abuse, social participation and capital assistance.
Alice Wong also wanted to remind other organizations to apply for the 2013-2014 NHSP year. The call for proposals ends on July 5.
Since its beginnings in 2004, the NHSP has funded more than 12,200 projects across Canada. Funding for the program is allotted in the federal budget $33 million of which went towards it this year.
