Marie Beaulieu participates in the global work of the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA) launched during the COVID-19 pandemic. (May 2020)

By organizing meetings once-a-week for five weeks, the extraordinary work of the INPEA has facilitated international exchanges on the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic for the older adult population worldwide.

Through these meetings, this select group of approximately 30 international participants working in the field of ageing could exchange thoughts, experiences, preoccupations, and the search for solutions regarding :

• Living conditions and healthcare of older adults in a variety of housing environments;
• Situations of human rights violations and associated discrimination;
• The surge of financial fraud directed at older adults;
• Psychological consequences and the impact of social isolation following confinement;
• The deployment of community resources to help older persons in developing countries.

Marie Beaulieu opened the sessions with a statement on social and healthcare conditions as of April 22, 2020, at the national (Canada) and provincial (Quebec) levels.

Then, a presentation of the strategic responses of public health authorities, especially as concerns the seniors’ population (70 years old and over), was given.

Ms. Beaulieu’s contribution to the working group closed with the steps taken by the Research Chair since the beginning of the pandemic, for example :

• Multiple appearances in both Canadian and Quebec media;
• Establishment of a dialogue with the Institut national de Santé publique du Québec (Public health expertise and reference center);
• The distribution of information and tools to regional coordinators on countering mistreatment;
• Placing tools and information on its website for broader outreach;
• Composition of a scientific commentary published in the Journal of Age & Ageing.

To learn more about the mission of the INPEA, we invite you to visit the website of this international NGO and see their contributions to the United Nation’s Working Group.