Geographic isolation, limited transportation, financial dependency, lack of affordable housing and shame and embarrassment are barriers preventing older women who are experiencing abuse from seeking support, a research study has found.
The goals of a recent needs assessment for older abused women on the Sunshine Coast were to understand its nature and extent, identify barriers to seeking help and improve access to services and support. On the Coast, 6,000 women (20 per cent of the population) are aged 50 and older, a number that is expected to grow, according to the study's findings. Jill Hightower and Greta Smith co-ordinated the project, made possible through a B.C. Ministry of Community Services and Minister Responsible for Seniors' and Women's Issues grant to the Sunshine Coast Community Services Society and the Together Against Violence Cluster. They conducted focus groups and interviews of voluntary participants. Their research found the majority of abused older women are victims of family violence.
Their findings were presented at an older woman abuse workshop Sept. 21 at the Sechelt Indian Band community hall, with panels of service providers sharing their knowledge on the issue.
"Many older women don't believe there are services available to them," Smith said at the workshop, and added they "believe there are no choices for them." Also, older women are less likely to disclose their abuse than younger women.
"We want to change that because there are choices available to them," Smith said.
Hightower urged the approximately 50 attendees that "we all need to come together and look at how to address this."
The recurring theme running through the first panel of presenters, with representatives from the RCMP, Crown counsel and police and community based victim services, was urging women who think they have been victimized to call them.
Cpl. Max Fossum has seen cases of a grandson abusing his grandmother, for example, and relatives victimizing an elderly woman by taking her money. He urged older women to be careful who they let inside their home and not to hire a stranger coming to the door offering to do work on the house. Victim services provides crisis intervention, information and assistance to victims to help them through criminal justice system processes.
"We assist people whether charges are laid or not," said Sylvia Hockley, manager of the Sunshine Coast RCMP victim services.
Rita Petrescu, victim services co-ordinator for the Sunshine Coast Community Services Society, expressed her concern about older women's isolation. She plans to look at ways to improve response to domestic violence and to address the challenge service providers face in reaching out to provide assistance.
Crown counsel Trevor Cockfield encourages women experiencing abuse to come forward to shift the power relationship from being the victim.
In the second panel, Yew Transition House supervisor Eva Boese emphasized their staff provide support services to women of all ages, which includes the 30-day shelter, a 24-hour access phone line (604-885-2944), outreach and referrals.
Kathy Thomas, nurse co-ordinator for Vancouver Coastal Health's geriatric mental health unit, said they often discover elder abuse after a woman's increase in visits to her doctor or the hospital to treat injuries. The unit also sees cases of financial abuse from family members.
Gloria Grover spoke on her experiences and the importance of peer support and agencies that care.
Allison Sawyer said the community resource centre empowers women to work on their own cases through the legal resources it provides. She is planning to do workshops in the community on wills and powers of attorney.
Among a list of recommendations coming out of the needs assessment was to form a committee of older women and service providers to move the recommendations forward. One of the many goals is to start up support groups with professional facilitators for older women in each of the Pender Harbour, Sechelt and Gibsons communities. Education, awareness and outreach are key goals of the project, as is continuing to network with the Sechelt First Nation.
