Estate Planning

Elder Abuse

By Hull and Hull LLP

I was appalled at the recent report in the news of a 68-year-old woman found unconscious in a cold garage, where she had been forced to live since last November. The woman was taken to the hospital in life-threatening condition and was treated for frostbite. Her son and daughter-in-law were charged with failing to provide the necessities of life, as well as criminal negligence causing bodily harm.

It is estimated that between 4 and 10 per cent of Canada's seniors experience some kind of abuse. Most incidents relate to verbal and financial abuse, and the kind of extreme physical abuse experienced in this case is, thankfully, more rare. However, elder abuse is prevalent enough in Ontario to prompt the provincial government to take steps to eliminate it by committing annual operating funding for prevention initiatives. 

The Ontario Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse has launched a new province-wide toll-free hotline to assist abused and at-risk seniors. The Seniors Safety Line will provide information, referrals, and support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in over 150 languages. The hotline is a confidential resource for seniors suffering abuse, including financial, physical, sexual and mental abuse and neglect. The Seniors Safety Line can be reached at 1-866-299-1011.

Sharon Davis

Full post as published by Toronto Estate Law Blog on March 02, 2011 (boomark / email).