Sandra Holmes
Starting the conversation with someone about abuse is a difficult and emotional topic to talk about.
Often people are fearful, humiliated or ashamed when they find themselves in an abusive relationship. It takes courage for people experiencing abuse to reach out and start the conversation to find the support they need.
There are many good resources on the Internet to help people who feel abused. The Seniors Abuse and Information Line (SAIL) 1 866 437 1940 is toll free.
A fact sheet on the Seniors BC.ca website about how to start a conversation about abuse gives a good outline in the steps to take when you are ready to talk about feeling abused.
The steps are: Who can I tell? How to start a conversation… Describe what is happening… When this happens it makes me feel… I want you to help me by…
If you are a person who experiences difficulty accessing information on the internet, this information is also located in the Seniors Room at Dutch Lake Community Centre.
When seniors take charge, the conversation changes from, “Why am I signing this document?” to “I need more information so I can understand what you want me to sign.” “I am feeling so lonely because I can’t get out like I used to” changes to “Now I get regular phone calls from the Phone Friends program run by WGCSS and I feel happy and connected.”
– With the aid of a New Horizons for Seniors’ grant, Wells Gray Country Seniors Society brings awareness to seniors issues with a series of articles supporting the WGCSS program called Seniors Taking Charge: Elder Abuse Prevention.