Government of Canada invests in elder abuse awareness project in Metro Vancouver

alice wongAlice Wong, Minister of State (Seniors), announced that seniors in various British Columbia regions will benefit from projects that raise awareness about elder abuse, funded through the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP).

“Our government is committed to ensuring that Canadian seniors have the information and tools they need to prevent all forms of elder abuse,” said Minister of State Wong. “This is a serious issue that must be addressed. By supporting elder abuse prevention activities, our government is helping to safeguard the well-being and security of Canadian seniors.”

The Burnaby Multicultural Society received $200,000 in pan-Canadian funding through the NHSP to organize workshops and presentations, and offer resources in various ethnic languages to increase awareness and promote the prevention of elder abuse in several regions in B.C. Seniors, their families and community stakeholders will also benefit from culturally tailored elder abuse awareness information and tools, which include an awareness campaign in Chinese, Korean and Punjabi.

“We are grateful to the Government of Canada for their funding and support of our Elder Abuse Network project,” said Rana Dhatt, Executive Director, Burnaby Multicultural Society. “This funding allows us to raise awareness and promote prevention of elder abuse amongst immigrant communities. This network has created a welcoming and participative environment that engages both seniors and professionals in a dialogue about elder abuse awareness.”

This project is one of 33 pan-Canadian initiatives collectively receiving over $14 million in NHSP funding.

The NHSP supports projects led or inspired by seniors who want to make a difference in the lives of others and in their communities. The Government of Canada is investing over $33 million in support of more than 1 750 NHSP projects that will lead to programs and activities for seniors across Canada. These projects were approved through the 2012–2013 call for proposals.