Recent article in the journal Risques & Qualité, special issue on welfare. 

Marie Beaulieu published the article Contrer la maltraitance envers les personnes aînées au Québec. Bilan historique des politiques publiques et inventaire des principales actions (Countering mistreatment of older adults in Quebec.  Historic record of public policies and inventory of main actions) in the scientific and professional journal Risques & Qualité en milieu de soin (Risks and Quality in care environment) (December 2012).  The readership of this journal consists of researchers and professionals concerned by the quality and safety of care.

The article gives the results of 30 years’ fight against mistreatment of older adults in Quebec.  It describes the evolution of public documents (reports, action plans, policies, laws, etc.) which deal directly or indirectly with this fight. Some examples of innovative practices are also presented before concluding with a perspective of future societal challenges that need to be addressed.

New people join the Chair’s team 

Fifteen or so people now participate in the progress of the work of the Chair.

Caroline Pelletier joins the group of the five students (Marie-Ève Bédard, Louise Belzile, Marie Crevier, Annie Riendeau and Arzemina Spahic-Blazevic) whose research projects are directly related to the work of the Chair. Caroline looks at mistreatment committed by close relatives in the milieu of accommodation. Note also the participation of two graduates, former students at the Chair, who continue to make their contribution by pursuing dissemination of their work : Daphné-Maude Thivierge (legal protection of vulnerable older adults) and Fiona N. Grenon (self-neglect). Finally, two social service students (Roxane Leboeuf and Geneviève Thibault) contribute to literature reviewing.

Three research professionals, Johannie Bergeron-Patenaude, Monia D'amours and Joséphine Loock, have invested their efforts in funded projects.

Lastly, a technical and informational support team collaborates in the layout and the dissemination of the Chair’s activities and productions. Julie Brisebois works on linguistic revision, Aline Lavoie on informational database management, Pamela Neesham on the English translation of the various productions and Nicolas Roy is our Webmaster.

Active presence by the Chair at the 1st Francophone Congress on Frailty (Toulouse, April 2013)

The 1st Francophone Congress on Frailty of older adults will take place on April 17 and 18 at l’Hôtel Dieu Saint-Jacques de Toulouse. A symposium, organized and moderated by Marie Beaulieu, will focus specifically on « L’accompagnement de la maltraitance envers les personnes aînées dans quelques états de la francophonie : des pratiques en amont, en parallèle et en aval de la fragilité » («Mistreatment support for older adults in some French-speaking states : practices prior to, in parallel with and coming after frailty»). You will recognize the majority of the presenters who will speak at this symposium, as the Chair can count them among its valuable collaborators.

• Fragilité, vulnérabilité et maltraitance envers les aînés : une recension systématique des écrits : M Beaulieu, M Crevier (Sherbrooke, Québec)
• Réflexion sur la fragilité à partir des pratiques d’accompagnement de Alma France : R Moulias (Paris), F Busby (Bordeaux), C Chapelier (Toulouse)
• Réflexion sur la fragilité à partir des pratiques d’accompagnement de Respect Seniors (Wallonie) : N Berg (Liège), D Langhendries (Namur), M Oudewater (Namur)

The Chair (Marie Beaulieu and Louise Belzile) with colleagues from Respect Seniors  (N. Berg, D. Langhendries and M. Oudewater) will also present a poster entitled Étude d’acceptabilité du guide de pratique En Mains (suivi de cas en maltraitance des aînés) en Wallonie. (Acceptability study of the In Hand practice guide (case monitoring mistreatment of older adults) in Wallonia.)

The Chair participated in the Une pilule, une petite granule program on Télé-QuÉbec 22 November.

This report deals with an original and unique response from the discussion Table Vivre et vieillir à Rosemont (Living and Aging in Rosemont), an in tandem project between the community police of the Montreal Police Department (SPVM) and Carrefour Montrose (Projet Soutien aux Victimes d’Abus - SAVA-Intervention)(Support for Abused Seniors Project – SAVA-Intervention) in situations of mistreatment of older adults, which started in Rosemont, Montreal, five years ago. A police officer, social community agent, criss-crosses the neighbourhood accompanied by a neighbourhood worker specialized in intervention with older adults. They perform both preventive work and follow up with older adults who have recently been in contact with the police. In this report, the Chairholder of the research Chair explains the phenomenon of mistreatment, its dynamics and its consequences. The report can be viewed at the following internet address: 

http://video.telequebec.tv/video/13132/maltraitance-envers-les-aines

The Chair provides knowledge on mistreatment of older adults in various university course. 

Improving the training of future practitioners is unquestionably a goal to pursue to improve on knowledge and influence practices. In the United States, the systematic insertion of gerontological content within the curricula has been positive with regard to students’ interest in older adults as well as their career prospects. Émilie Rousseau-Tremblay^[1], M.A. Gerontology, questioned the initial training on aging in the curricula of schools of social work in 8 Quebec universities. Her study shows that, overall,  the schools of social work all see training in gerontology as the meeting of two individual choices, that of the student, and that of the professor, and this despite convincing evidence indicating that this strategy is ineffective.  Fortunately, this conception changed at the University of Sherbrooke in the fall of 2012 when, in the new degree program, the gerontological social work course became mandatory for all!

More specifically regarding training on mistreatment of older adults, several studies, including a Canadian^[2] one with a small sample of health-care professionals, has shown that almost half of respondents after graduating had not received initial or continuing training on the subject. However, those having training after graduation fared better in identifying risk factors for mistreatment.

The Chair contributes to changing the state of things, in particular by including the thematic of mistreatment of older adults in several university courses. For example, the winter session 2013 has plenty to offer in this matter. Marie Beaulieu is full professor of the course Problèmes sociaux du vieillissement et travail social (Social problems of aging and social work) in the social work degree at the University of Sherbrooke. She also contributes to the course Profils vulnérables (Vulnerable profiles) given in the certificate in victimology at the University of Montreal (Laval campus) and in the course Dimensions biopsychosociales du vieillissement (Biopsychosocial dimensions of aging) of the masters micro-program Soutien conseil en gerontology (Support consultant in gerontology). Louise Belzile is in charge of the course Intervention auprès de la personne âgée(Intervention with the elderly person) which falls within the masters micro-program Intervention en gerontology (Intervention in Gerontology).

Fiona Neesham-Grenon, master’s student in social work and case manager at the CSSS-IUGS, completed her thesis on self-neglect in the elderly.

L’autonégligence chez les aînés : des défis pour la pratique (Self-neglect in the elderly : challenges for practice). Here is how Fiona Neesham-Grenon presented her master’s work to an audience captivated by the themes she addresses. In recent weeks, Fiona has presented the results of her research to the regional coordinators of the Governmental Action Plan to Counter Elder Abuse 2010-2015, to representatives from the Seniors Secretariat, to members of the Walloon mission on visit in Sherbrooke as well as to her colleagues, the social workers at the CSSS-IUGS. 

Self-neglect is a concept with as yet poorly defined contours.  Is it related to a medical diagnosis? Is it mistreatment? Is it common? One thing is certain, these complex situations often lead to a feeling of heaviness and helplessness among social workers dealing with this as yet misnamed, poorly identified and misunderstood phenomenon. Thirteen practitioners from three CSSSs in the Eastern Townships accepted interviews during which they talked about their professional experiences with self-neglecting people. Their comments helped to meet the research objectives which were set as follows:

1. Reconstuct the meaning of the concept

2. Identify the challenges of practice, resources and actions put forward

3. Propose courses of action and thought

4. Consider the link between self-neglect and mistreatment

This work has identified four major challenges or practice issues facing the three main players convened in mistreatment intervention, which are the older adult, the social worker and the CSSS (practice setting). These challenges are management of risks, environmental pressures, collaboration of the older adult and the intensity and frequency of services. This exploratory research contributes to the development of knowledge by elaborating on this vagueness which constitutes practice with self-neglecting people. Avenues of research and intervention shed light on future work to support practice.

Well done Fiona!

The Chair tabled the report of its second year of operation (of five) to 31 OctoberPresentation of some of its achievements

Here are some highlights that have marked the year 2011-2012:

• Publication of the book La maltraitance envers les aînés. Changer le regard by Presses de l’Université Laval
• 22 research projects in progress (nine subsidized, six pro bono and seven student projects) of which four were completed in 2011-2012
• Deployment of the website (important interviews, scientific watch, activities in progress, regular updating of news archives, etc.)
• Completion of nine important interviews with international researchers (online soon on the website)
• 29 publications and 39 scientific papers intended for various audiences (scientific, professional, in basic or continuing training, general public, etc.)
• Welcoming of various visitors, among whom the Honorable Alice Wong, Minister of State for Seniors
• Organization of three scientific seminars within the Chair
• Consultation as an expert during the production of the public policy Vieillir et vivre ensemble (Aging and living together)
• Expert witness before the Federal Parliament’s Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights on Bill C-36 (to amend the Criminal Code on sentencing in mistreatment of older adult situations)
• Recipient of the Mérite estrien award in the category of innovation, with Suzanne Garon, for the deployment of the AFC/AFM program (Age-Friendly Cities/Age-Friendly Municipalities) 
• Significant presence in the media (at least 34 interviews given over the radio, on television or to newspapers)

Between 26 November and 1 December the Chair welcomed representatives of the Walloon Agency to fight elder abuse.

This activity is part of a collaboration project that the Seventh Joint Standing Committee Quebec-Wallonia-Brussels 2011-2013 gave the research Chair on mistreatment of older adults and the Walloon Agency to fight elder abuse, better known as Respect Seniors. This project entitled Joint discussions around the implementation of a tool linked to the fight against elder abuse (of which you can see the details under «Activities») has already led to the accomplishment of two Quebec missions in Belgium, whereas for the Walloons, it was a first mission in  Quebec. 

The Chair offered them a very busy and varied work schedule to enable them to feel the Quebec pulse in the fight against mistreatment.  Activities took place in Montreal and Sherbrooke:

• Visit to the Carrefour Montrose for discussion on the SAVA (Support for abused seniors) project
•  Participation in the annual Training of the regional coordinators of the Governmental Action Plan to Counter Elder Abuse
• Working seminar with Chair members
• Discussions with representatives of the Eastern Townships Table to counter mistreatment of older adults
• Visit of the SQ (Sherbrooke) premises and presentation of their various programs for older adults
• Meeting with the Elder Abuse Helpline officials and discussion on respective experiences of coordinating a helpline

By the end of the project (spring/summer 2012), two further missions will be in operation, one in Wallonia and the other in Quebec.

The Townships Merit Award

Marie Beaulieu, Chair holder and her colleague Suzanne Garon, have received the Townships Merit award for their work in the Age-Friendly Cities project (VADA), now named Age-Friendly Municipalities (MADA). The article entitled Chercheuses amies des aînés (Age-Friendly Researchers) appeared on October 8 in the Tribune newspaper and is available on line:

http://www.lapresse.ca/la-tribune/merite-estrien/201210/08/01-4581187-chercheuses-amies-des-aines.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&;utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B2_merite-estrien_252727_section_POS1

To view Suzanne Garon’s profile, principal investigator of the project and professor at Sherbrooke University:

http://www.usherbrooke.ca/service-social/nous-joindre/personnel-enseignant/garon-suzanne/

© The Press, Ltd.. All rights reserved. (en anglais)

Marie Beaulieu, has been invited, as an expert witness, to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights of the House of Commons of Canada. 

The Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights is currently studying Bill C-36, an Act to amend the Criminal Code (abuse) and Marie Beaulieu, Chair holder, has been invited to comment on the issue.  A videoconference will take place on Tuesday, October 2, 2012 at the end of the day.

For more information on the Bill:

The report of Me Turmel’s conference held on September 11 is available: Exchange of confidential information when the safety of a person is threatened. (L’échange de renseignements confidentiels lorsque la sécurité d’une personne est menacée.)

Exchange of confidential information: some legal guidelines to guide our practices to combat mistreatment of older adults 

On Tuesday September 11, about fifty representatives of public, semi-public and community/social economy bodies from the Eastern Townships region took part, at the CSSS-IUGS, in a conference given by Me Audrey Turmel which was organized jointly by Paul Martel (Eastern Townships coordinator for the implementation of the Governmental Action Plan to Counter Elder Abuse), the Eastern Townships table to counter mistreatment of older adults and the research Chair on mistreatment of older adults. The next day, about fifty participants from Sherbrooke (CSSS practitioners and representatives from the financial community) took advantage of this training activity. Me Turmel, from the Ministry of Justice, is involved in the implementation of the Governmental Action Plan to Counter Elder Abuse 2010-2015, which was made public on June 14, 2010.  The conference was directly linked to the commitment aiming at « the development of tools and examples to support professionals dealing with situations where confidentiality is at stake». This conference makes sense in the context where intersectoral work is consistently called upon in the response to mistreatment of older adults.  From this there arise the following questions: what to share, with whom, in what contexts and with what prior authorization?

From the outset, Me Turmel reiterated that a professional cannot be released from his obligation of confidentiality unless the client explicitly and tacitly waives this obligation unequivocally in a clear and voluntary way.  She then elaborated on the distinct concepts of «confidentiality» and «organizational secrecy» before recalling the existence of exceptions allowing disclosure of personal information without the consent of the holder as stipulated by laws[1].  She subsequently explained to participants that the law[2] also provides flexible conditions of confidentiality and organizational secrecy in certain circumstances.  Indeed, the Act to amend various legislative provisions in relation to the disclosure of confidential information in order to ensure the protection of persons (L.R.Q 2001, c. 78) entails the lifting of secrecy as being possible where the concern is «to prevent an act of violence, including a «suicide», «when there is reasonable cause» to believe that there is imminent danger of death or serious injuries to a person or an identifiable group of persons».

The question period ending this multi-sectoral meeting was a valuable opportunity for sharing practical experiences and findings from research activities.  Among others, constructive exchange took place on the question of writing clinical records of people who live in situations of mistreatment. These situations, which create a lot of uncertainty, as much in the step of identifying the problem as in the choice of solutions put forward, call for prudent practice characterized by the complexity and the uniqueness of interventions for which ready-made solutions are not appropriate. Clinical as well as legal points of view, the necessity of recording complete progress notes that include not only the results of interventions but also professional impressions was discussed. This desirable practice, even required[3] in borderline cases (that is, those that are not obvious), allows keeping track of chronological acts that are reported by the person as well as the results of interventions undertaken, but it also allows tracing the significance and validity of the choices that have been made in terms of actions taken and those set aside.  This way of recording events and professional assumptions makes possible, if necessary, the transition from mere suspicion to reasonable cause to believe that a person’s life may be in danger, for example, in situations of mistreatment of older adults.  In this vein, Me Turmel plans discussions with professional bodies in the framework of the mandate entrusted to her by the Quebec Minister of Justice. 

The PowerPoint of Me Turmel’s conference is available, with her consent, on the website of the research Chair on mistreatment of older adults through the following link: http://www.maltraitancedesaines.com.

The Chair will participate in the Colloque international Parcours de vulnérabilité au grand âge : pratiques sociales et régulations juridiques (International Symposium  Path vulnerability in old age : social practices and legal regulations, which will take place this October 11 and 12 at Brest in Brittany.

Marie Beaulieu will present a conference entitled : Parcours de vie et vulnérabilité à la maltraitance : données issues de l’étude pilote pancanadienne sur la maltraitance envers les personnes aînées. (Life path and vulnerability to mistreatment: data from the pan Canadian pilot study on mistreatment of older adults).

Marie Beaulieu has been invited by the Research Group in Financial Services Law (GRDSF) at Laval University to give a conference on the legal protection of older adults from financial exploitation. The event will take place on Friday, September 28 in room 2419 of the Charles-De-Koninck pavilion at Laval University 

Conference summary:

The extent of mistreatment in Canada: a pilot study. In February 2012, a team of pan Canadian researchers published the results of a pilot study on the extent of mistreatment of older adults. Based on the life path, this study focuses not only on mistreatment experienced as an older adult but also that experienced as a child or adult. It puts into perspective both the more objective dimensions of mistreatment while also giving voice to older adults to express their views on their experience.  This conference will address the main findings of the study, clearly stating the methodological choices made. Particular attention will be given to material and financial types of mistreatment.

This coming September 27, Marie Beaulieu, Chairholer of the research Chair, will present a conference in collaboration with Sonia Gilbert (Centre jeunesse de la Montérégie) (Montérégie youth center) entitled : Lutter contre l’âgisme : agir en prévention de la maltraitance envers les personnes aînées. (Fighting ageism: acting to prevent mistreatment of older adults).

The conference will be held in the framework of the Network of Provincial Users’ Committees (RPCU) congress  in St-Hyacinthe, Québec.

Conference summary:

Society is increasingly concerned by mistreatment of older adults.  Mistreatment has no age, it strikes everywhere; children and adolescents can also be victims of mistreatment.  This conference aims to highlight the similarities and the differences related to these two groups (older adults and children) and start thinking about a perturbing reality from a more global perspective.

The privileged theme is De la réflexion à l’action! (From thought into action!) To view the program for these two days of conference, visit the RPCU website: http://www.rpcu.qc.ca/fr/act-congres-programme.aspx

The research Chair is pleased to welcome two new research professionals into the team: Josephine Loock and Louise Brossard.

 Josephine Loock holds an MA in economics and management of health and social services, with a major in sociology of aging and a BA in political science. Her studies as well as her years of practical experience have enabled her to develop extensive knowledge in gerontology and more specifically in the field of mistreatment of older adults. Madam Loock will carry out interviews for the Chair with renowned international researchers in the field of mistreatment of older adults.  The interviews will then be posted on this website.

Louise Brossard holds an MA in sociology and a BA in social work. She practiced community organization for 12 years and subsequently held research and teaching posts.  These years of experience have enabled her to develop strong skills in research, writing, content analysis, synthesis, organization and communication. Madam Brossard will work for the Chair initially in conducting a systematic review of scientific articles in the field of mistreatment of older adults published in Quebec and will then make a synthesis which will be posted on the website.

Joséphine Loock	Louise Brossard

On August 27, the Chair was visited by the Honorable Alice Wong, Minister of State (Seniors), Government of Canada.

The Honorable Alice Wong met the research Chair holder and her team in an informal setting. The objective of the meeting was to take account of the Chair’s current work and of that to come.  The exchanges were strongly rewarding.  The entire Chair team greatly thanks the Honorable Alice Wong for her visit and for the interest she showed in the research Chair’s scientific dynamism!

http://pm.gc.ca/eng/bio.asp?id=97

Martine Noreau has been hired as coordinator of the Arrimage (Synchronization) research project.

The new coordinator of the Arrimage (Synchronization) research-action project took office on August 27.  This 3-year research-action project aims to document and model the intersectoral work to combat mistreatment of older adults.  The model will be implemented, its effects will be evaluated and a final model, enriched by the contributions collected through research-action will then be disseminated.  The peculiarity of the project is that it is being carried out in partnership with various bodies in the milieu, such as:  the Montreal Police Department (SPVM), the CSSS (Health and Social Services Center) of that territory, community organizations – including the Carrefour Montrose through its SAVA (Soutien aux Aînées Victimes d’Abus) (Support for Victimes of Elder Abuse) program, the regional coordinators of the Governmental Action Plan to Counter Elder Abuse 2010-2015, among others.

Martine Noreau

The Chair, in partnership with the Table of concertation against mistreatment of older adults in the Eastern Townships, will host Me Audrey Turmel this coming September 11 in the context of a conference on issues of confidentiality.

The Chair and Mr. Paul Martel, Regional Coordinator in the mistreatment action Plan for the Eastern Townships region and representative of the Table of concertation against ill-treatment of older adults in the Eastern Townships, join forces to receive Me Audrey Turmel, from the Directorate of guidelines and politics of the Quebec Ministry of Justice. M^e Turmel is a member of the interdepartmental committee that monitors the governmental action Plan to counter elder abuse 2010-2015. The conference entitled « l’échange de renseignements confidentiels lorsque la sécurité d’une personne est menacée » (the exchange of confidential information when the safety of an individual is threatened) will take place this coming September 11.

This conference is long-awaited. The various agencies consulted in the regional diagnosis on the response to mistreatment in the Eastern Townships have argued that confidentiality and the limits to the transmission of information between partners are a major hindrance to protecting and assisting mistreated older adults.

The Minister Marguerite Blais has made a positive assessment of the review of the second year of the national action plan to counter elder abuse 2010-2015.

On June 14, at a press conference, the Minister Blais reported on the review of the second year of the action plan. The Chair was represented. To view this press conference, visit the website of the Quebec National Assembly at the following address : http://www.assnat.qc.ca/fr/video-audio/AudioVideo-42507.html

The research Chair team has three new student members! We extend them our welcome.

Three Social Work students at Sherbrooke University have joined the Chair’s team. Arzemina Spahic Blazevic will begin the second year of her Masters in Social Work this fall. She is interested in the situation of caregivers in the immigration context.

Annie Riendeau will also begin her second year of the Masters in Social Work. Her area of interest focuses on training on mistreatment of older adults and issues of inter agencies dialogue.

Finally, Franz Siméon will begin his Masters in Social Work this fall and he is interested in intersectoral intervention in the field of mistreatment. For further details on their profiles and their contribution to certain of the Chair’s research projects, consult the Team tab.

Fiona N. Grenon’s work on self-neglect among the elderly has begun to be disseminated!

Fiona N. Grenon, social worker and final year Masters in Social Work student, research option, at Sherbrooke University, became interested in the issue of self-neglect among older adults as part of her thesis entitled « l’intervention en travail social auprès de personnes aînées en situation d’autonégligence » (social work intervention with older adults experiencing self-neglect). The scientific and social interest aroused by this issue has led to three reports: an article on the Sherbrooke University website, an interview with Radio-Canada and an article in the newspaper La Nouvelle. Here are the links to read and to listen to Fiona N. Grenon, who explains the complexity of social intervention with older adults experiencing self-neglect:


http://www.usherbrooke.ca/medias/nouvelles/recherche/recherche-details/article/18446/

http://www.radio-canada.ca/audio-video/pop.shtml#urlMedia=http://www.radio-canada.ca/Medianet/2012/CBF_SHR/Estrieexpress201205111523.asx

The first book stemming from the work of the research Chair on mistreatment of older adults has come out! La maltraitance envers les aînés : changer le regard

A pre-launch of the book took place on March 30 at the Forum of partners set up by the Governmental Action Plan to Counter Elder Abuse 2010-2015

Marie Beaulieu presented the book at the Quebec Book Fair on April 14. The official launching took place on april 26 and 27 through a press tour organized by the sherbrooke research center on aging.

For more information on the book : meet the lead author through the website of the Presses de l’Université Laval : http://www.pulaval.com/catalogue/maltraitance-envers-les-aines-changer-regard-9762.html

Forum of partners 2012: the Chair was present

The second edition of the Forum of partners took place on March 30 and brought together national non-governmental organizations as well as ministries and governmental organizations involved in the fight against mistreatment of Quebec older adults. The Chair participated.

Marie Beaulieu, chair holder of the research Chair, was invited to present, very briefly, a review of the work carried out by the Chair as part of the second year of the Governmental Action Plan.

For more details on the course of this rich day of exchanges and assessment, please visit the website of the Department of Family and Seniors.

 The Chair gets started on a new research project

“.Arrimage”: Intersectoral working model to counter mistreatment of older adults 

“Arrimage” is a research-action project which aims, firstly, to document and model the intersectoral work to fight mistreatment of older adults from the innovative practices currently being tried out in the north-east region of Montreal, to then implement the model, evaluate its effects and then disseminate the final model that will have been enriched by the research-action.

The Chair has recently published two scientific articles in the journal Journal of elder abuse and neglect

McDonald, L., Beaulieu, M., Harbison, J., Hirst, S., Lowenstein, A., Podnieks, E., & Wahl, J. (2012). Institutional Abuse of Older Adults: What We Know, What We Need to Know. Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 24(2), 138-160.

Harbison, J., Coughlan, S., Beaulieu, M., Karabanow, J., VanderPlaat, M., Wildeman S., & Wexler, E. (2012). Understanding "elder abuse and neglect": a critique of assumptions underpinning the responses to the mistreatment and neglect of older people. Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 24(2), 88-103.

The Chair is organizing two international symposia on mistreatment of older adults in the context of the Réiactis symposium (Réseau de recherche international sur l’âge, la citoyenneté et l’insertion économique) which will be held in Dijon (France) on this coming January 24 and 25.

These two symposia will bring together in turn international researchers from the French-speaking world, then from the world as a whole, in a reflection on the evolution of public policy concerning mistreatment over the last ten years. Involved will be France, Belgium (Wallonia), Switzerland, Netherlands, India, Israel, Germany and, of course, Quebec.

Beaulieu, M., Berg, N., Roulet-Schwab, D., & Busby, F. (January 25, 2012) Symposium: «The fight against mistreatment: what developments in Francophone states of social policy and practices since the adoption of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing?» , Réiactis International Symposium «The Right to Age». January 2012, Dijon (France).

Beaulieu, M., Kapur Shankardass, M., Lowenstein, A., Schols, J., Bleijlevens, M., Brucker, U. (January 26, 2012). Symposium: «Mistreatment of older adults; an international overview on social policies in force and their effect 10 years after the adoption of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing», Réiactis International Symposium «The Right to Age». January 2012, Dijon (France).

Recently, two articles taken from essays produced in the context of the Chair’s work (ageism and improvement in the practice of the fight against mistreatment) have been published.

In autumn, 2011, two holders of master’s degrees in social service from Sherbrooke University, Cynthia Brunet and Josée Lévesque, published an article taken from their essay in two consecutive issues of the journal Vie et Vieillissement. You can obtain these articles, in PDF format, in the «Productions/Publications» section of our website.

Lévesque, J. & Beaulieu, M. (2011). Lutter contre l’âgisme par le biais d’activités intergénérationnelles: réflexions tirées d’une pratique. Vie et Vieillissement, (9)3, 6-12. . (Fighting ageism through intergenerational activities: reflections from practice).

Brunet, C. & Beaulieu, M. (2011). Bonifier les changements de pratique à la suite d’une formation continue en milieu de travail : réflexion tirée de l’expérience d’implantation du guide de pratique En Mains (intervention en maltraitance envers les aînés). Vie et Vieillissement, (9)2, 52-58. (Improving practice changes following training in a work setting: reflection from the experience of the implementation of the ethical decision-making framework In Hand (intervention in mistreatment of older adults).

The Chair will present a conference at the colloquium «How to help? Challenges and issues of intervention in the context of mistreatment of older adults» which will be held on this coming February 17 in Montreal (Quebec, Canada).

This colloquium, organized by the Elder Abuse Helpline, will be the occasion to draw up a summary of the actions undertaken since the implementation of the Governmental Action Plan to counter Elder Abuse. Marguerite Blais, Minister Responsible for Seniors, will give an allocution. The researchers Marie Beaulieu, Lise Montminy and Michèle Charpentier will also speak. To register: www.creges.ca.

Beaulieu, M. (February 17, 2012). Mistreatment of older adults: how far have we come since the 80’s? Colloquium: «How to help? Challenges and issues of intervention in the context of mistreatment of older adults» organized by the Elder Abuse Helpline and the Crégès (Centre for Research and Expertise in Social Gerontology) of the CSSS-Cavendish. Montreal (Quebec, Canada).

The Chair will receive Jutta Lindert, Ph.D., this coming March 21, at lunchtime, in the auditorium of the Research Centre on Aging, Sherbrooke, Quebec, for a public conference 

In the context of its ties with international researchers, the Chair will hold a public conference this coming March 21. The professor and researcher Jutta Lindert, from the Protestant University of Ludwigsburg (Germany), will present her work as principal researcher in a comparative study of the incidence of mistreatment in five European countries.   Her presentation: Elder Abuse – Results from a Multinational Study and Challenges for further Research will highlight the issues of culture, but also the methods used in comparative studies between countries.   Welcome to all!

The Chair will attend the 40ieth Annual Scientific and Educational Meeting of the Canadian Association of Gerontology and the 4^th Pan-American Congress of the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics which will be held in Ottawa from 21 October to 23 October 2011.

Within the context of the 40ieth Annual Scientific and Educational Meeting of the Canadian Association of Gerontology and the 4^th Pan-American Congress of the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics, the Research Chair on Mistreatment of Older Adults will participate in the symposium: Emerging National/Regional Strategies for Preventing and Addressing Abuse and Neglect in Later Life. Marie Beaulieu, chairholder of the research Chair on mistreatment of older adults, will give a conference entitled, Mistreatment of Older Adults in the Americas: What Are the Research Directions? The conference will take place on Saturday, 22 October 2011, at the Hotel Westin Ottawa, in Ontario.

Description of the symposium:

In both the northern and southern hemispheres cases of elder abuse and neglect have been reported since the mid-1960s. As was true of child abuse and spousal abuse, much of the early efforts to address the problem were undertaken on an ad hoc basis by individuals, NGOs and public agencies at the local level; research was sparse and mainly qualitative. This symposium, organized by the International Network for Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA), reviews progress in policy and legislation, programs, practice and research in the Americas, with emphasis on emergent regional and national strategies. Jordan Kosberg INPEA Representative for the USA, will provide an overview of initiatives at the state and federal level with respect to legislation, awareness raising and provision of information. Charmaine Spencer, INPEA Representative for Canada will provide an update on adult protection legislation in the 13 provinces/ territories, highlighting hat can be learned from the different approaches. She will also describe key elements and objectives of the recent federal elder abuse initiative. Next, Martha Liliana Giraldo, INPEA Representative for Mexico, will describe the development of response to elder abuse and neglect by government, health and social care providers and researchers in her country. Research will be the main focus of the fourth speaker, Marie Beaulieu, INPEA Representative for North America. Her presentation will describe findings form a survey of topics being researched in the USA, Canada, Mexico and other countries in Latin American and the Caribbean. Discussant Gloria Gutman, President of INPEA, will provide a global perspective.

Description of Marie Beaulieu’s conference:

Elder abuse, or mistreatment of seniors, is an important social, political and public health issue in the countries of the Americas as elsewhere in world. The Madrid Plan of Action on Aging, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2012, highlighted the importance of countries addressing the issue. Besides seeing some changes in social policies and practice, we have also witnessed an increase in knowledge. Reflecting the infancy of the field, prior to Madrid many papers attempted to define elder abuse and attributed a set of "static" characteristics to both victims and abusers. Since 2002, we have witnessed the publication of several more sophisticated incidence and prevalence studies and numerous studies on complex issues related to identifying and intervening in elder abuse situations. In this paper, based on information provided by INPEA's national and regional representatives, we will present a review of current research in the Americas. The data were gathered in order to identify topics and issues that are being explored in the different countries. From this review, we will be able to give first answers to the questions "What do we know about elder abuse in the Americas?"; "What are the avenues that are being explored?"; "What are the avenues that we could gain from exploring?"; and "How can we work better together in order to gain comparative knowledge?".

For further information on the Congress, please consult the website of the Canadian Association of Gerontology.

Participation of the Chair at the Annual Training Session of the Adult Protective Services of USA

The Research Chair on Mistreatment of Older Adults attended the Annual Training Session of the Adult Protective Services of USA, at Buffalo, New York State, of which the theme was: Stemming the Tide of Adult Abuse. National Perspectives. Marie Beaulieu gave a conference on 21 September 2011 entitled: ‟Canadian ways to address Elder Abuse: Highlights from 13 Jurisdictions”. This presentation fell within the framework of a workshop on international perspectives concerning mistreatment of older adults.

The following is a brief description of the workshop:

There are no cultural or political barriers to mistreatment of older adults. The mistreatment of vulnerable older adults has been documented in several regions. Two specialists in mistreatment of older adults, Marie Beaulieu from Canada and Kathleen Day from Australia, presented a profile of mistreatment in their respective countries and the means envisaged to address this issue. Marie Beaulieu, who is the North American representative to the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA), also addressed mistreatment in terms of a global perspective.

This Congress was a great opportunity to meet various agents involved in Adult Protective Services and to become familiar with their initiatives and approaches to training and intervention in the context of mistreatment. We also shared on the issues and debates surrounding the legal obligation to denounce mistreatment situations. In addition, we noticed that the intervention situations raising the most clinical issues are those surrounding self-negligence. This differs from our practice in Québec where these situations tend to be considered as indicative of mental health problems.

Launching of the Research Chair on Mistreatment of Older Adults website

It is with great enthusiasm that the Research Chair on Mistreatment of Older Adults on 22 October 2011 launched its website. We invite you to regularly consult this site, because we will be adding content in the coming weeks and we will update it regularly. This platform provides updated knowledge and information on research initiatives in the field of mistreatment of older adults.

Enjoy your visit to our website!

2^nd training of the regional coordinators of the Governmental Action Plan to Counter Elder Abuse 2010-2015

A founding action of the Governmental Action Plan to Counter Elder Abuse 2010-2015, the creation of regional coordinators, has been in place since spring 2011. The coordinators are committed to their environment and play a pivotal role in promoting dialogue and partnership between the various local and regional agencies. Their mandate is in particular to provide a profile of services offered and resources available throughout their sector and to establish close ties between local agencies so as to ensure effective services geared towards countering mistreatment.

The training sessions aim to equip the coordinators so that they can play a full role in their community. The Research Chair on Mistreatment of Older Adults is responsible for the mistreatment component, while Denis Bourque of UQO, chair holder of the Canadian Research Chair on community organisation, deals with the section relating to intersectoral work. A first training took place in May 2011 wherein were exposed, among others, the Action Plan, the place of older adults in society and general knowledge related to mistreatment. The 2^nd training, which will take place on 25 October 2011 in Montreal, will address in particular the continuum of services in the struggle to counter mistreatment and the tools available for prevention, detection and intervention.