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About CREA

The Council to Reduce Elder Abuse. (CREA) is a province-wide group created in 2013 by the BC Government’s Ministry of Health in response to the “Together to Reduce Elder Abuse- BC’ Strategy“.

CREA fosters collaboration and coordination to advance the prevention of elder abuse including recognition, prevention, and response by sharing information, raising public awareness, and supporting professional development and capacity-building across BC. CREA is made up of representatives from various sectors including the finance, policing, health, and law, and sustains its work thanks to the financial support provided by the BC Ministry of Health.

 

Recognize Elder Abuse

Every day in British Columbia, thousands of older adults are subjected to some form of physical, emotional, financial or sexual abuse, and/or experience neglect.

This is unacceptable.

To a large degree, elder abuse goes unrecognized. It is often hidden, and the abuser and the victim may not even recognize the actions as abuse or neglect. When elder abuse is recognized, many people are unsure where to turn or how to get assistance.

Senior man with walker

Together, we can change this situation.

Recognizing Elder Abuse is the Critical First Step

We will never be able to address elder abuse if we do not understand what it is or what the signs of abuse look like. Once elder abuse is recognized, we must respond. Our response mechanisms need to be coordinated and as varied as the forms of elder abuse itself.

And above all, our responses must respect the dignity and independence of older adults. We must seek to prevent elder abuse from occurring in the first place. This goal requires the participation of all British Columbians to ensure that elder abuse is prevented and, where it occurs, is addressed appropriately.

Learn more about recognizing elder abuse below:

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Why Was The Council to Reduce Elder Abuse Created?

The Council was created in 2013 by the BC Government’s Ministry of Health. It emerged from the 2013 ‘Together to Reduce Elder Abuse – BC’s Strategy document. After this report, CREA was supported until the summer of 2016 by the Office to Reduce Elder Abuse. It continues now with a small operating grant from the Ministry of Health.

The Council is made up of representatives from a number of agencies that deal with Elder Abuse during the course of their day-to-day operations.

You can learn more about the organizations that send representatives to the Council table below:

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audience watching conference speaker on elder abuse

How To Get Connected With CREA?

The Council to Reduce Elder Abuse is made up of over 17 representative organizations.

CREA’s role is to help create strategies for and among member agencies to better deal with elder abuse.

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Current Council Members:

  • Provincial Government (Ministry of Health, Ex officio)
  • Designated Agencies (Health Authorities and Community Living BC)
  • Policing – (Vancouver Police Department, RCMP E Division – Mental Health & Elder Abuse Liaison)
  • Legal (Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch, Canadian Centre for Elder Law)
  • Credit Unions (First West Credit Union, VanCity Credit Union & Community Foundation)
  • BC Securities Commission
  • US Border Service, Vancouver Office
  • Family Caregivers (Family Caregivers of BC)
  • Seniors First BC
  • BC Association of Community Response Networks
  • Banking Sector (Canadian Bankers’ Association)
  • Council of Senior Citizens Organizations (COSCO)
  • Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society (PICS)
  • BC Care Providers Association/EngAge BC
  • Public Guardian and Trustee of BC
  • Aboriginal and First Nations
  • Immigrant Services Society of BC