Respecting Elder Citizens Preventing Elder Abuse Include older people/kaumatua Hauraki Family Violence intervention Network is proud to be partnering with Age Concern Thames for this short series of articles. We are seeing elder abuse increasingly frequently when we look at the trends of family violence locally. As people age, they can become more vulnerable and susceptible to abuse and neglect however we recognize the wealth of knowledge and wisdom the older members in your social activities Top tips: of our whanau and community bring to our lives. Over the next few weeks we'll be sharing some Love and cherish your older relatives/whanau Top tips When doing your usual social activities invite your older relative/whanau to come along or to join in to have furn with you Ask your older relative or friend if there's a new activity that they would like to try this year and do it together. ideas you can use to help prevent elder abuse and neglect. When having a conversation with your older relative/ whanau, take the time to listen closely by listening more to what they are saying rather than speaking yourself. ncern When having meals indlude your older relatives as part of the family group by everyone sitting at the table together or if they are in their bed, try having the family meal in their room. VIOLENCE FREE When shopping afone or with a suppoet person, encourage older relatives to use a PayWave debit card or credit card so their PIN numbers are not required to be shared with anyone else Hauraki Family Violence Intervention Network (HFVIN) is a collective of around 100 individuals representing over 60 organisations from across the Thames-Coromandel and Hauraki Regions. We believe in supporting positive connections between people and strengthening healthy relationships and families. We do this by sharing key messages, holding conversations sharing resources and by providing training.