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Churches can play a critical role in the prevention of elder abuse and neglect by fostering heightened public awareness of elder mistreatment, as well as providing services to families and others at risk for perpetrating abuse. This paper describes a pilot government- funded project to raise awareness of elder abuse in faith communities. The project seeks to support the faith community in its efforts to prevent and address elder abuse. The objectives are based on a needs assessment of faith leaders that emerged from a study that found that two-thirds of the 49 clergy interviewed knew of or suspected elder abuse among their parishioners. To achieve the goal of supporting faith communities in the identification and prevention of elder abuse, the project will develop and disseminate information and materials that will meet the identified needs of faith leaders, diverse faith and ethno cultural group, and congregants. Using a collaborative, community development approach, this project aims to educate and mobilize faith communities so that its members can address elder abuse in an effective partnership with existing health and social service providers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study, conducted by Ryerson University, The Ontario Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, Older Women's Network, and the Centre for Applied Research (Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto) examines faith leaders' perceptions of elder abuse, the actions taken by them in response to suspected or disclosed situations of elder abuse, and their knowledge and understanding of resources and services available for elder abuse intervention. Survey data was collected using an instrument that contained both open and closed-ended questions. The results of the study revealed that two-thirds of the clergy interviewed knew of, or suspected elder mistreatment among their parishioners. Faith leaders identified lack of education about elder mistreatment, lack of knowledge and/or skill in intervention techniques and confidentiality issues as barriers to responding effectively to the abuse of elders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faith communities can play a critical role in the prevention of elder abuse and neglect by fostering heightened public awareness of elder mistreatment, as well as providing services to abused elders in the community. Faith leaders are among the most likely groups of caregivers to encounter cases of elder abuse, but unfortunately not all are aware of ways of identifying and effectively dealing with abuse. Religious leaders require training to educate them about elder abuse issues to identify the important roles they can play in prevention, intervention and treatment. Pastoral workers and theology students should also be exposed to educational concepts regarding this problem. In an age of ecumenism and interfaith movements, religious leaders must become a conduit for the well-being and safety of older adults. This paper discusses exploratory work undertaken in Ontario, funded by Health Canada (Ontario Region), the Ontario Trillium Foundation, and Justice Canada to begin to uncover the extent to which faith leaders are aware of instances of elder abuse, and what they might see as their role in addressing such problems in their faith communities. A thorough literature review suggests that while considerable attention has been paid to the issue of elder abuse, researchers have not focused on the role of faith leaders in addressing this complex problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Churches can play a critical role in the prevention of elder abuse and neglect by fostering heightened public awareness of elder mistreatment, as well as providing services to families and others at risk for perpetrating abuse. Research indicates that faith leaders are one of the most likely groups of caregivers to encounter cases of elder abuse, but unfortunately they rarely refer or report these cases to agencies that can help. Religious leaders require training to educate them about elder abuse issues to identify the important roles they can play in prevention, intervention and treatment. Pastoral workers and theology students should also be exposed to educational concepts regarding this problem. In an age of ecumenicism and interfaith movements, religious leaders must become a conduit for the well-being and safety of older adults. This paper discusses a study underway in Ontario, Canada, funded by Health Canada (Ontario Region) and the Ontario Trillium Foundation to determine the awareness level that faith leaders possess about elder abuse. A literature review reveals unsettling gaps in knowledge and information about this complex problem. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]