The executive director of Saskatchewan Seniors Mechanism says statistics from the Public Health Agency of Canada’s found that around four to six per cent of older adults experience abuse, and only about 20 per cent of it is reported. Holly Schick was a guest speaker in a Saskatchewan SPCA webinar series on the violence link, where if an animal is abused it can be a sign that people are also being abused and vice versa.

It is one of the signs of possible elder abuse. She notes that abuse isn’t always physical. It’s when someone limits or controls the rights and freedoms of older adults and they are unable to freely make choices for fear of being hurt, humiliated, left alone, or of the relationship ending.

Right now, if you think an older person is being abused, unless it’s a criminal act, there is no process for reporting it. Schick says the SSM has looked at setting up an elder abuse help line, but hasn’t been able to find funding, even for a pilot project. There are help lines in some other provinces and Schick considers it much needed in Saskatchewan.

She would like to see something similar to a gambling help line, where when you call it directs you to Mobile Crisis Services, where there are people who are trained and able to respond.