Respecting Elder Citizens- Preventing Elder Abuse We are the sum of our experience Value the older people in our lives because of their experiences and what they have learned in their long uraki Family Violence Intervention Network is proud to be partnering with Age Concern 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 vulnerablelife. Do your bit to make sure Aotearoa is a place and susceptible to abuse and neglect - however we recognize the wealth of knowledge and wisdom the older members of our whanau and community bring to our lives. Over the next few weeks we'll be sharing some ideas you can use to help prevent elder abuse and neglect. where we can all grow older with dignity and self-respect. Be a relationship builder Top tips: lelp to combat isolation and loneliness amongst older people by getting to know the older people in your ife as people, not just as an older person or a family member Exhibit kindness and patience to older people. Our changing world can be a little overwhelming for older people so slow down and be patient. Do not patronize older people by treating them like children. They may be older but they are stll adults Have zero tolerance for abuse or neglect of older people. Think about what your elder can teach you and ask them to share that skill. Top tips Reject the stereotypes af aging and focus on the unitquness ol every individual when you spend time with them. Speak up when you hear people speaking negatively about growing older This will help chaige attiutles and behaviors that devalue older people Be poltite and friendly to everyone you come into contact with. Even a smile from a stranger in the street will brighten the day of a lonely older person. Remember that everyone gets lonely sometimes no matter if you are surrounded by people or not. Share everyday activities with the older person in your life instead of only doing those tasks for them. Hauraki Family Violence intervention Network (HFVIN) is a colWective 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 relationshijps and families. We do this by sharing key messages holding conversations, sharing resources and by providing training. over 60 ncer VIOLENCE FREE