World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) is recognized by the United Nations General Assembly on June 15 to raise awareness for the violation of older people’s rights, an often underestimated and ignored issue around the world. Despite being grossly under reported, elder abuse is growing in recognition as a serious societal concern.

senior abused is 1 too many. Unfortunately, when it comes to showing just how urgent a problem elder abuse is, the numbers don’t lie.

• 1 in 2 people are prejudiced against older people (Global Report on Ageism, World Health Organization)
• 1 in 5 Canadians say older people are a burden on society (Report on Ageism, Revera, 2012)
• An estimated 7.5% of Canadians 55 and older experienced abuse (Into the Light National Survey on the Mistreatment of Older Canadians, National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly, 2015)
• 1 in 6 people over the age of 60 are victims of elder abuse (World Health Organization)
• In 2021, Women aged 55 and older represented 28% of all victims of femicide (Call it Femicide Report, Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability, 2021)
• Nearly 8 in 10 seniors report age discrimination in healthcare (Report on Ageism, Revera, 2012)
• In Ontario, there was a 250% increase in calls to the Seniors Safety Line in 2020 (Assaulted Women’s Helpline, 2021)

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Official Website