Monday, April 13, 2009
Launch of New Province Wide Help Line Provides Safety Resource for Seniors
April 13, 2009, Toronto – The Ontario Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (ONPEA) is proud to announce the launch of a new province-wide hotline to assist at-risk seniors. The hotline will provide assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in 150 languages. In June 2008, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Government of Ontario, awarded ONPEA a three-year, $415,700 grant to help with the set-up of the hotline.
The official kick-off takes place on Friday, April 17 at 10:00 am at Villa Colombo, a Toronto retirement community. Members of ONPEA staff and the Ontario Trillium Foundation will welcome the Honourable Aileen Carroll, the Minister Responsible for Seniors, who will take part in the announcement.
“Ontario is proud to support this invaluable resource for seniors across the province, which will allow them to access help in the language with which they are most comfortable,” said Minister Carroll.
The hotline is a free, confidential resource for seniors suffering abuse, including physical, mental, sexual, neglect, and financial. Professionals that work closely with seniors estimate that close to 10 percent of all seniors suffer some form of abuse, although many don’t report these incidences to police. ONPEA projects that the new hotline will provide support to over 4,000 seniors in the first year of operation.
“Knowing there is someone to talk to 24 hours a day, seven days a week in their own language makes people feel less alone and more connected,” stated ONPEA Board Chair Lori Flynn. “Hopefully this helpline will encourage seniors to pick up the phone and get help,” she added.
The new Seniors Safety Line is 1-866-299-1011. The hotline is operated in association with the Assaulted Women’s Help Line (AWHL), who will provide the infrastructure and technical support needed to make the project possible.
ONPEA is a non-profit, charitable organization mandated to raise awareness about the abuse and neglect of older adults, and create an Ontario that is free from abuse for all seniors, through education, training, collaboration, service coordination and advocacy. For more information, visit www.onpea.org.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation allocates grants to eligible charitable and not-for-profit organizations in the arts and culture, environment, human and social services, and sports and recreation sectors. To find out more about the Foundation, you can visit their website at www.trilliumfoundation.org.
|