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BURNABY, British Columbia, December 18, 2013 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State (Seniors), today announced that seniors in various British Columbia regions will benefit from projects that raise awareness about elder abuse, funded through the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP).
"Our government is committed to ensuring that Canadian seniors have the information and tools they need to prevent all forms of elder abuse," said Minister of State Wong. "This is a serious issue that must be addressed. By supporting elder abuse prevention activities, our government is helping to safeguard the well-being and security of Canadian seniors."
The Burnaby Multicultural Society received $200,000 in pan-Canadian funding through the NHSP to organize workshops and presentations, and offer resources in various ethnic languages to increase awareness and promote the prevention of elder abuse in several regions in B.C. Seniors, their families and community stakeholders will also benefit from culturally tailored elder abuse awareness information and tools, which include an awareness campaign in Chinese, Korean and Punjabi.
"We are grateful to the Government of Canada for their funding and support of our Elder Abuse Network project," said Rana Dhatt, Executive Director, Burnaby Multicultural Society. "This funding allows us to raise awareness and promote prevention of elder abuse amongst immigrant communities. This network has created a welcoming and participative environment that engages both seniors and professionals in a dialogue about elder abuse awareness."
This project is one of 33 pan-Canadian initiatives collectively receiving over $14 million in NHSP funding.
The NHSP supports projects led or inspired by seniors who want to make a difference in the lives of others and in their communities. The Government of Canada is investing over $33 million in support of more than 1 750 NHSP projects that will lead to programs and activities for seniors across Canada. These projects were approved through the 2012-2013 call for proposals.
New Horizons for Seniors Program
The New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) is a federal grants and contributions program that supports projects led or inspired by seniors who make a difference in the lives of others and their communities, and supports the Government of Canada's commitment to ensure the well-being of Canadian seniors and ending elder abuse in all its forms. Since 2006, the NHSP has funded more than 11 200 projects in hundreds of communities across Canada.
Pan-Canadian projects focus on developing or identifying tools, resources and promising practices that can be adapted and shared across communities, regions and the country to address elder abuse. This funding can enable community members to better recognize elder abuse in all its forms and to improve the quality of life, safety and security of seniors. Eligible pan-Canadian grant or contribution projects must have a broad reach and impact. They are eligible for up to $250,000 in funding per year, for up to three years.
Other Actions Taken by the Government of Canada to Combat Elder Abuse
In 2008, the Government launched the Federal Elder Abuse Initiative (FEAI), a multi-departmental, three-year initiative to help seniors and others recognize the signs and symptoms of elder abuse and to provide information on available supports. This initiative successfully concluded in 2011.
Building on the momentum created by the FEAI, the Government continues to address elder abuse through awareness campaigns that aim to help Canadians recognize the signs of elder abuse and give them information on available resources and supports.
In addition, the Government is addressing elder abuse through recently introduced legislation that will help ensure consistently tough penalties for offences involving the abuse of elderly people.
For more information on the NHSP, call 1 800 O-Canada or visit seniors.gc.ca.
