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EWA Newsletter on Older Woman Abuse

Weaving the Web Conference Report

The Weaving the Web Conference was conceived in partnership by FSA and EWA and our community partners to bring together Violence Against Women (VAW)) and Senior's sector personnel to address the gaps in service to older women in Toronto who are abused. The project was the launch to a two-year initiative funded by the Breaking the Cycle of Violence Grants program of City of Toronto to build the capacity of both sectors and local communities in Toronto to address abuse of older women in a way that is respectful of both sectors and one that recognizes the strengths and needs of both. This fund (BTCV) is known for providing funds for innovative approaches and partnerships to build community capacity and leadership on issues affecting abused women and children.

Originally planned as a forum for about 80 to 100 participants, as soon as the outreach began it became clear that we had “hit a nerve” with the community.

The conference was attended by over 180 participants and an additional 80 were placed on a wait list because the limits of space and resources did not allow for their inclusion at this time.

The information sheet which accompanied the invitation to service providers was as follows:

INFORMATION SHEET
Weaving the Web: A Conference to Support an Integrated Response to Older Woman Abuse in Toronto
Date: January 29, 2003
Place: Oakham House, 63 Gould Street , Ryerson University in Toronto
ASL Interpretation, Attendant Care and Notetaking Service provided
Wheelchair Accessible space

Education Wife Assault with project partners Family Service Association of Toronto (FSA), Ontario Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (ONPEA), Circle of Care (COC) and the Toronto Police Service (TPS) Elder Abuse Unit , is pleased to announce this exciting new initiative. The Weaving the Web project will develop new partnerships for community-based prevention efforts and develop and test a new training model to enhance the community response to intimate violence against older women by Elder Abuse (EA) and Women Abuse (WA)) services and networks.

There is overwhelming evidence of the increased vulnerability of older women to abuse by partners, caregivers and family members, as well as the presence of significant barriers to accessing service for many women. Studies in Canada and the US show that between 4 and 10% of the elderly population are either at risk of or are experiencing abuse from their caregivers, families and within institutions. Additionally, there is no reason to believe that the incidence of woman abuse is any less for women who are older than for the general population of women.

Abuse of women in intimate relationships does not ‘magically' stop at the age of 55 or 65. In some cases, the violence may actually worsen with age or due to women's life circumstances; the effects may in fact be more severe due to increased frailty and vulnerability on the part of the victim. Many older abused women will never consider leaving the abuser as part of a safety strategy, so understanding of these issues and alternatives will need to be developed within existing systems and approaches in the woman abuse and elder abuse communities/systems.

In recognition of the extent and complexity of violence against older women, this conference is the first phase of a project funded by the Breaking the Cycle of Violence Grants Program at the City of Toronto to bring together Woman Abuse and Elder Abuse frontline, managers, police, community service, health care and justice system personnel to:

• Address the prevalence of intimate violence against older women by increasing the capacity of women abuse and elder abuse networks and services to respond to the needs of abused older women.
• Promote awareness of the issue of violence against older women and raises the profile of older woman abuse in violence against women and elder abuse networks and services.

In the second phase of this project EWA and our community partners will:

• Provide training to a diverse group of older women to provide information and prevention education to the community through a new training model.
• Provide educational sessions to senior women to give them the crucial tools they need to advocate for themselves, escape from being victims and/or reduce the likelihood of becoming re-victimized .
• Focus our training and education efforts on communities of older women who identify as immigrant & refugee women, women with disabilities and Deaf women, lesbians and bisexual women, poor and under-housed women and other vulnerable groups.
• Develop a model, tools and resources that will be used by other communities.

All conference participants will receive a number of resources including:

• Participant's tool kit
• Directory of listings of local resources or services for older abused women
• A summary of the Action Plans from the conference

We are hoping you will join us for a day of creativity, strategizing, networking and action planning. Please contact Lisa Manuel from Family Service Association of Toronto at lisama@fsatoronto.ca or 416-977-0559 ext.333 or Joanne Bacon at jbacon@womanabuseprevention.com or at 416-968-3422 ext.25 (V) or 416-968-7335 (TTY) or FAX: 416-968-2026 for more information about the conference.

We look forward to working together on this very important initiative.

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Conference Report

In order to assess the effectiveness of the conference in taking steps toward bringing together the violence against women (VAW) and Seniors sectors and determining cross-sectoral training needs and building a more effective and coordinated community response to older woman abuse, conference evaluation forms, one for the speakers and one general one for the conference were included in each participant/ presenter's conference folder. Throughout the day, participants were reminded to complete their evaluation of the day and provide the organizers with feedback in person and through the form. A collection box was displayed prominently on the registration table.

The evaluation forms consisted of ratings and comments questions for the presenters and 12 quantitative and qualitative questions. Participants were asked to rate the speakers and determine to what extent the speakers and conference succeeded in meeting specific goals using a scale of 1 to 5. For each question assessing the meeting of conference goals, participants were asked to write comments or thoughts. Participants were also asked to note what they found most useful about the conference and presentations as well as how they thought the workshop could be improved.

Several participants included unsolicited, additional comments at the end of their evaluation form. Some of these comments are included in this report.

A total of seventy (82) speakers evaluation forms and seventy-nine (79) general conference forms were collected from participants/ presenters, representing a fairly high response rate given that about 180 people attended the conference.

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Conference Format

Opening remarks

Opening remarks were made by George Smitherman, Minister of Health and Long Term Care and Laurel Broten, Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier and the Deputy Chief of Police, Steve Reesor

Keynote Address

Elizabeth Podnieks, from the Ryerson School of Nursing and a leader in the field of abuse of older persons introduced keynote speakers Jill Hightower and Greta Smith from British Columbia .

Panel Presentation

Throughout the day of the conference, two keynote presenters and 6 panelists presented. The afternoon session involved panel presentation and case study sessions in cross-sectoral groupings.

The Local Reality panel presented as follows:

Justice Sector Response - Daniel Mark

Community Trends – Vivien Green

Marginalized Women – Angela Robertson

Synthesis and Moderate Q & A – Lisa Manuel

In the afternoon the panel continued with Habiba Adad and Parvin Samadzadeh speaking about experiences with working with African Canadian and Iranian Canadian Communities on elder abuse issues. Jo-Anne Miller spoke about Aboriginal communities response to abuse of older persons.

The responses given by participants about the panelists were very positive.

“Excellent guest speakers. Second half of conference allowed me to be more emotionally connected to the issues spoken about very moving speeches”.

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Case Study Sessions

Seven case studies were prepared representing a wide variety of issues and situations that service providers may face when dealing with older abused women. Facilitators supported cross-sectoral groups to problem solve and network to address each of the scenarios.

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Closing/Synthesis

Greta Smith and Jill Hightower closed the day with a synthesis of the afternoon and the work of the day.

It is interesting to note that while evaluators' responses indicate that the presentations were well-received, they also indicate that more work needs to be done in order to develop workable solutions to older woman abuse in our community and strongly suggested the need for further training and cross-training opportunities.

There were many comments on the timeliness and necessity of the conference, such as:

“Congratulations on the turn out! Obviously there is a huge need” and "I appreciate your organizational efforts inspite of the high number of people attending it”

For a verbatim record of the conference proceedings contact Education Wife Assault (EWA) at info@womanabuseprevention.com

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General Evaluation

Conference participants indicated that, on the whole, the conference was a great success. In particular, respondents believed that the conference met the following goals:
1) accomplished its goal of bringing the two sectors together (91%);
2) identify barriers to EA and DV services and networks working together (93%), and; 3) how abuse affects older women differently when they face additional barriers of poverty, homelessness, radicalization, immigration status, disability, etc (92%).

These goals were achieved by setting up a welcoming, open, inclusive and gendered framework during Jill Hightower and Greta Smith's Keynote Address and the presentations by the diverse group of panelists who presented and facilitated throughout the day.

Conference participants also responded that the event promoted partnerships between sectors and built community capacity to protect victim's safety and hold abusers accountable. Inter-sectoral partnerships were promoted by bringing together diverse women and groups to interact and learn from each other. Community capacity was increased by promoting partnerships between the two sectors (Seniors and violence against women (VAW)), providing an opportunity to build networks, and bringing together workers and agencies to share experiences, information, and knowledge through problem solving sessions with case studies in the afternoon.

In addition, conference participants believed that the conference provided some opportunities to develop connections with others. Many respondents believed that the conference was only a beginning in fostering dialogue between the two sectors and did not provide enough opportunity to develop workable solutions to older woman abuse due to time limitations.

“This was a great introduction /overview. Further in depth training on each topic would be very good; My own area is legal, so I would be especially interested in that.”

“Need more of this, but need more time for this to be shared fully/comprehensively.”

“Great content but inadequate time to gain more awareness.”

There was some frustration expressed by some participants that the information was too basic for them and concern over the venue that it was difficult to hear people at times and the venue was too crowded.

“Too small but given the huge registration you did a great job accommodating every one. This was excellent! Thank you.”

Many participants noted that in order to meet this goal of cross-learning between sectors, much more time is required.

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Additional Comments

Many people thanked the organizers for holding such a conference, which brought new people together and provided opportunities for information sharing and bringing the issue of older woman abuse to light in both sectors. Many asked when the next opportunity for sharing would be.

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After the Conference:

“I just wanted to thank Valerie for informing our agency about the conference that was held on January 29, 2004 and to convey to Joanne that our staff welcomed the education opportunity and commented on how great it was.  We had a group of Management staff, Supervisors, Gerontology Students and Personal Support Workers attend and the material presented was beneficial to all roles. Have a great day.”

Star King
Education and Training Manager
Helping Seniors Help Themselves
Peel Senior Link

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Conference Follow-Up

The question about further training needs was answered by most respondents. Forty-four (44) respondents gave suggestions.

The following themes were formulated from the suggested topics:

•a further focus on differential impacts (stigma, cultural issues, etc) of woman abuse on lesbian and trans women, women of colour, etc.

•  more work on bringing the violence against women (VAW) and senior serving sectors together so both can benefit from the work of the other

•  interest in the harm reduction model discussed by Angela Robertson in her remarks

•  continue to provide a space to discuss and move forward on these issues, recommending that conferences/workshops such as these be held frequently

•  further training on the legal aspects of older women abuse is needed with specific training for police

•  sharing resources, web based resources/info-sharing was identified as a training need

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Keynote Address

Notes from the Keynote Presentation by – Jill Hightower and Greta Smith

• Congratulation to Education Wife Assault for recognizing the need to address the continuation of violence and abuse in the lives of older women.
• Bringing together service providers in the area of Elder Abuse and Violence Against women is an important step in raising awareness of this issue and promoting a coordinated and integrated approach to this issue.
• We also want to acknowledge the work of the Older Women's Network in raising awareness of this and other social and economic issues in the lives of older women. And of course the Ontario Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the sterling work of Elizabeth Podnieks
• Since 1997 In British Columbia Greta Smith and Jill Hightower have been working to raise public awareness and develop services for older women in abusive relationships.

As a background to the short video we will be showing you it is really critical to understand that:

• Violence shapes women's lives from birth through old age. It cuts across age, race, class, economic status, and religion. Violence is a fact of life for many women of all ages, and no girl or woman is ever free of gendered discrimination.
• Abuse of a women in her fifties or older is usually viewed as age related and categorized as ‘elder abuse', a gender-neutral term. When age alone defines her abuse, the reality of a woman's life disappears from consideration.

•  Abuse and violence in old age is not gender free or necessarily age specific but can be part of a continuum of violence and discrimination and a part of some women's lives from childhood until death. This was particularly evident in the many stories we have heard from women in BC ranging in age from 50 years to 90 years.

•  Abuse and violence experienced by an older woman in the family may be a continuation of long term spousal abuse or abuse in a new spousal relationship.

•  Physical, emotional, sexual and financial abuse may also be from adult children and grandchildren.

•  We know that experiencing abuse has a devastating impact on the self-esteem and capabilities of women, and lasting adverse consequences for their health

•  Women who enter their older years with a past or continuing experience of violence and abuse often suffer chronic poverty, and persistent health problems including chronic pain, depression and disability.

•  How many problems are said to be related to aging is in fact related to a history of trauma?

•  Age plays a significant role in violence, abuse and discrimination of women and men in later life. However, many older women's lives continue to reflect current and life long consequences of living with physical, emotional, sexual social and financial violence.

•  Those practicing in the field of elder abuse have worked hard to identify abuse, help victims, and raise public awareness. To better serve older women we need a broader framework of theory, research, analysis and practice incorporating factors of gender based violence including the dynamics of power and control. Thus proving a coordinated approach to issues of violence and abuse in the lives of older women.

•  This one-day conference is a great beginning.

* Explain the video is powerful based on real life stories. If you find it upsetting please feel free to leave for the showing.

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Video

Video: What's Age Got to Do with it? (13 minutes; 2003) (Order video and discussion guide from: http://www.bcysth.ca/publications/publications.htm )

It is really important to understand that there are various barriers that impact on an older woman's willingness or ability to seek help. Some of these are reflected in the scenarios in the video.

• Shame and humiliation may prevent women from revealing abuse from a spouse of other family member,
• Fear of further abuse,
• Fear of making change so late in life,
• Fear of poverty,
• Guilt if the abuser is physically dependent on them,
• Marriage for religious beliefs,
• Financial constraints,
• Geographic and social isolation,
• Fear of losing treasured possession,
• Fear of being placed in an institution,
• Their love and concern for their partner or other family member abusing them,
• Possible loss of a beloved pet.

These all impede an older woman reaching out for help.

c) Jill Hightower and Greta(M.J.) Smith, January 2004

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Biographies of Conference Planning Committee and Panelists

Angela Robertson is the Executive Director at Sistering: A Woman's Place, a multi-service women's organization for marginalized, poor and homeless women. Angela was a former senior staff executive at the Ontario Women's Directorate, Homes First Society, the Community Social Planning Council of Toronto, and Women's Educational Press. Angela is an activist in the Black and women's community. Retiring Vice-Chair and Board Member of Central Neighbourhood House, in 2000, Angela was recognized by Toronto's Now Magazine as one of the top 10 community activists on social justice issues, has received the Rubena Willis Women of Distinction Award for her work on violence against women, and the Urban Alliance on Race Relations Awards for her work on equality and social justice issues.

Eileen Jadd, BSW, MA, RSW, has worked in the violence against women field for 15 years. She coordinated the training and education of volunteers for Alternative Short-Term Emergency Housing (ASTEH), a Toronto shelter for Jewish women. As well, Eileen was instrumental in the development of similar facilities in Montreal and Winnipeg . Following a social work student placement at Education Wife Assault, Eileen acted as interim Volunteer Coordinator for the agency. Currently, Eileen is the Social Work Practice Leader for Circle of Care, an agency dedicated to helping seniors in the community, including a specific program, the Older Woman Abuse Program. Eileen is also the mother of three children.

Eileen McKee, MSW, MBA, started as a clinician, then community consultant at the Addiction Research Foundation, she became the Coordinator of Counseling Services at the largest residential treatment centre in Toronto until 1990. For thirteen years, Eileen was the Executive Director of an MOHLTC-funded addiction treatment program for the elderly. She is a strong advocate for enhanced services for older adults, developed and managed key projects and has designed and delivered numerous training and education venues on this issue before joining the Elder Abuse Strategy in 2003.

Sharon Galway, RN , BScN comes to the Elder Abuse Strategy from the York Region Community Care Access Center where she worked for 10 years. Sharon was part of a multi-disciplinary team and specialized in mental health, psycho-geriatrics and hospital case management. She has a background in community development and a certificate in Adult Education and Training from OISE/UT. As an educator for the Personal Support Program, taught the elder abuse module through The York Board of Education. Also, Sharon was Chairperson for The Prevention of Elder Abuse Committee from 1997–2002.

Habiba Adad , currently works with the Family Service Association of Toronto and is the Counselor in the Violence Against Women Unit, which specializes in counseling services for abused women and children exposed to family violence. Her background is in social work and serves on numerous community committees in the Greater Toronto area. With over 13 years experience in the field, she has provided counseling to English and Somali speaking population. She is an educator and has designed various workshops on a wide variety of topics including: family violence issues and life skills.

Jo-Anne Miller is the Manager of the Ontario Aboriginal Health Advocacy Initiative (OAHAI). OAHAI addresses issues and concerns of equitable access and quality of health services within Aboriginal, First Nations and Metis communities throughout Ontario . Jo-Anne is of Mik'maq ancestry, hailing from the east coast, however she has spent a considerable amount of her life in Toronto . Jo-Anne has been working in the social service/non-profit sector for close to 15 years with a primary focus has been on Aboriginal health and Long Term Care. However she also has extensive experience in the area of violence against women, justice and homelessness.

Joanne Bacon is a program manager at Education Wife Assault. She is responsible for the development and management of several projects aimed at improving access to services for women with disabilities, Deaf women and older women who have been abused. Joanne has developed training materials, manuals and programs on a variety of equity issues for educators, police, social workers, advocates, service providers and consumers for the past 20 years.

Lisa Manuel, PhD, has a Master's Degree and Doctorate from the University of Toronto in sociology with a special focus on gerontology. She has worked in the senior's field since 1984 in social service and hospital sectors. She is Manager of the Seniors and Caregivers Support Services Unit at FSA Toronto. Prior to this she was Director of Social Services in a community-based agency for seniors. Lisa is the team leader of FSA's Elder Abuse Consultation Team. She has consulted on a number of initiatives in the field and is often called upon to speak about elder abuse. She presents at local, national and international conferences on this topic and is keenly interested in the similarities and differences between domestic violence and abuse of older persons.

Marsha Sfeir is the Executive Director of Education Wife Assault (EWA).  For 15 years she was the Coordinator of Training and Education at EWA where she developed and delivered workshops and training programs on all aspects of woman abuse and its impact on children.  Marsha has been an educator, author, and activist working for social justice for over 35 years.

Patricia Fleischmann is the Elder Abuse Coordinator for the Toronto Police Service. Since joining TPS in 1986, Pat has worked in uniform, community response, plainclothes and investigative capacities. She even spent time as a recruiter for the Service. Prior to taking on the position of Elder Abuse Coordinator in October 2002, Pat worked for 2 ½ years in the domestic violence section of Community Programs. As part of her responsibilities as Elder Abuse Coordinator, Pat also focuses on vulnerable adult abuse. On the Dean's Honour List, Pat will be graduating with a Bachelor of Arts – Justice Studies, from Ryerson University June 2004.

Vivien Green is the executive director of the Woman Abuse Council of Toronto and has been with the Council since 1991. The Woman Abuse Council is a policy development and planning body working to develop a coordinated community response to woman abuse. Prior to her work at the Council, Vivien has had extensive experience in community and program development with a variety of communities. Vivien has lived and worked in both urban and rural communities including Sioux Lookout, Georgina (York Region) and Toronto .

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