The Elder Abuse Awareness Day is held every year, in conjunction with the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) which was first launched on 15 June 2006 by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization (WHO). Officially recognized later by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2011. Why does WEAAD Matter? WEAAD represents a special day in a year when the whole world shows its solidarity in opposing the abuse and suffering inflicted on some of our older generations. Literature shows that for every one reported abuse or neglect, as many as twenty are not.

Elder Abuse and Neglect (EAN) is defined as ‘a single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person’. The five main subtypes of EAN are physical, psychological, financial, sexual and neglect. Worldwide, approximately 15% of older adults experience some form of abuse or neglect at the hands of their loved ones. In Malaysia, roughly 1 in 10 senior citizens suffer from abuse. Health impacts of EAN include premature death, depression, sleep disturbances, suicidal behaviour and many more. Elder abuse can happen to anyone and anywhere; it affects older adults across all groups.

As part of our commitment to combatting EAN and joining hands with the international community, the PEACE (Prevent Elder Abuse and Neglect Initiative) team, Julius Centre University of Malaya (JCUM), Violence Intervention Committee (VIC) of University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) and TheStar Media Group will be organizing an Elder Abuse Awareness Week from 25 to 29 June 2018 at the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) Concourse area, with the theme ‘Remember Me’. This program aims at raising awareness of EAN among local community members, encouraging society to value and appreciate older adults, and bridging the gap between the younger and older generations. Various exciting activities and contests will be conducted, and our special ambassador Chef Wan will be there to address the crowd! We hope to see you there!

June 15th is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Use your voice to raise awareness on elder abuse and neglect, show the world you care about ending elder abuse and neglect – wear something purple on that day, turn your Facebook photo purple for that week and spend time with our elders.

Together, we can prevent elder abuse and neglect!