The New Westminster Police department's "innovative" work on elder abuse cases was recently recognized by Simon Fraser University's gerontology research centre and in a city with more than 8,000 residents aged 65 and over, and climbing, according to Statistics Canada, awareness for this type of abuse couldn't have come at a better time, said Andrea Wright, community counsellor for the department's domestic violence response team.
The elder abuse unit is a fairly new addition to the New Westminster Police Department. Started in 2008, the unit is a branch of the domestic violence response team - a partnership between the police department and family services of Greater Vancouver - which falls under the department's major crimes umbrella.
Currently, Reena Singh is the community counsellor for the elder abuse unit. She works alongside another counsellor, Andrea Wright, and Det. Const. Shari Gulliver. Together, these three women handle all the domestic violence and elder abuse cases that pass through the doors of the department.
"Some months are busier than others," Singh said. The unit deals with about two to three new cases of elder abuse each month, and right now Singh has about 20 open files, she added.
"The abusers usually are the kids abusing their elderly parents," she said.
But according to the unit, the cases are never black and white.
Many of the cases they investigate are complex; involving multiple family members and different health concerns, added Wright, who was the elder abuse counsellor up until this year.
"There's dementia, there's abuse; there may be addictions on top of that, which complicates separating the two, and then sometimes there's dynamics with the family and stuff, so it's really just making sure the appropriate agencies (are involved)," Wright added.
Not all cases involving seniors are classified as elder abuse. Files only classify as elder abuse if the abuse involves a spouse, relative or pre-existing relationship; the unit doesn't investigate strangers targeting seniors.
Recently, the unit has noticed an alarming increase in spousal abuse in the elder abuse cases they receive.
"Some of the dynamics of that are with dementia," Gulliver said. "The abuser suffering from dementia, and those are very difficult files, emotionally, for the whole family."
When the cases come in, the unit ranks each file according to priority; some of the files are more pressing than others and require action right away, while others need more time and collaboration from the different stakeholders. In the cases involving spousal abuse from a spouse suffering from a disease such as dementia, Gulliver said the unit is careful to ensure all relevant agencies are contacted, including Fraser Health.
"The adult children are usually involved and have to make some difficult decisions," she said.
Singh said many cases require input from physicians and care workers to determine where the abuser is in "terms of competency," and what possible risks they pose to their spouse.
"There are other ways to deal with (these cases) and usually it involves a lot of family participation; it involves outside agencies," Gulliver said.
Wright agreed. She said much of the work the unit does for elder abuse involves collaborating with other agencies to ensure the people they work with get the proper care and help they require.
"(The agencies) all meet every (two months) and then we talk about changes in each agency, any updates, if there's any files that we're struggling with," Singh said. "It's just to use a collaborative approach on how to support (the seniors)."
Both Singh and Gulliver have noticed that many times the seniors don't realize they're being abused.
In these cases the abuse is typically reported by a home care worker or an observant neighbour or relative, they said.
"Patrol may respond to a disturbance call where a neighbour has overheard what sounds like fighting," Gulliver said.
This is one of the main reasons why the elder abuse cases can get so complicated, Wright added.
"Sometimes they don't even identify that it's abuse," she said.
Most of the time Singh sits down with the seniors and goes over what they want and need. This can include making a safety plan or outlining limits for contact with the abusive child or relative. And in almost all the cases the seniors are very cautious about what they disclose for fear their child or relative will be punished.
"They don't want to see their children go to jail, they don't want to be responsible for the charges," Gulliver said.
With this in mind, however, many files can be resolved through a peace bond agreement between the senior and the abuser, she added.
While all the women in the unit agree that the elder abuse cases can be very challenging because of the different elements involved, they can also be the most rewarding.
"The reception from the people that we work with, generally, not always, was so positive and warm, and they were so grateful. It was such a rewarding job in terms of being appreciated by the clients that we work with. I think that they didn't have the expectation that anything could change," Wright said. "Just having somebody that can meet them at a coffee shop and just have a conversation about their experiences growing up . we're not dictating what should happen in that relationship, we're just sort of understanding and appreciating that, that is a very important, dear person in their life."
Anyone who has concerns about possible elder abuse can contact Gulliver, Singh or Wright through the department's main line at 604-525-5411.
