Help Celebrate 5th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on Tuesday

Help the fight against elder abuse this Tuesday with various partners throughout the country and celebrate World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEADD).  The key objective of  is to raise awareness of elder abuse (which encompasses neglect and mal- or mistreatment) throughout the world.  Here in the US, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is holding an event Tuesday morning to raise awareness of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation and acknowledge the significance of elder abuse as a public health and human rights issue.  Events are being held across the world in the UK, Japan and Canada as well as the US.  Some of the core messages include:

• Most elder abuse is hidden.
• Ageism (age discrimination) is a major cause of elder abuse.
• Ageism and disempowerment lead to elder abuse being hidden.
• Empowering older persons is the most effective tool in the response to elder abuse.