Council to Reduce Elder Abuse BC
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CREA Conference

2026:  CONNECT

February 12, 2026

 

The Council to Reduce Elder Abuse gathered advocates, professionals, caregivers, and community leaders for a meaningful conference dedicated to advancing the prevention of elder abuse and strengthening support for older adults in our communities. The day was filled with thoughtful conversations, heartfelt stories, and practical learning — all grounded in a shared belief that every older person deserves safety, dignity, and respect. Together, we strengthened connections, shared innovative ideas, and deepened our collective commitment to preventing elder abuse and building communities where older adults can thrive.

With gratitude and renewed purpose, a huge thank you to everyone who attended. Please enjoy the conference photos at the bottom
of this page.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the hard-working creative efforts of the Planning Committee, without whom we could not have had such
a successful conference: Lara Croll, Director, BC Care Providers Association – Team Lead; Leslie Gaudette, President, Council of Senior Citizens Organizations of BC – Speaker Liaise; Lauren Syverson, CREA Program Coordinator – Speaker Liaise, Coordinator Extraordinaire & Zen Provider; and Karen Hamada, CREA Administrator – Logistics Ninja and Captain Checklist. A special shout out to Karen Hamada, who went above and beyond making sure every detail was considered, and to Barb MacLean, CREA Chair, who led us through the day
as MC.

We gratefully acknowledge that our conference was held in Richmond, on the unceded and traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples including the Musqueam Nation.

We also gratefully acknowledge the Province of British Columbia, Ministry of Health, for CREA funding, including for the convening of
this conference.

 

 

 

 

 

Conference Presentations

Our sincere thanks to all the presenters who shared their time, expertise and insights to create a rich and engaging experience for all attendees. We’re pleased to provide access to the speaker information sheets and, where available, presentation slide decks so you can revisit key ideas and continue the conversation beyond the event.

CREA Conference 2026 Speakers Information Sheet

Barb McLean, Family Caregivers of BC, and Heather Treleaven, BC Association of Community Response Networks;
slide deck:  CREA Introduction and Overview

Dan Levitt, BC Seniors Advocate, slide deck:  Trends & Challenges in Senior Abuse in BC

Marie-Noël Campbell, Seniors First BC, slide deck:  SAIL Statistics

Dr. Gloria Gutman, Gerontology Research Centre, Simon Fraser University, slide deck:  Elder Abuse in the LGBT+ Community  

Darren Usher, Dignity Seniors Society, slide deck:  2SLGBTQIA Elder Abuse Prevention

April Struthers and Lindsay Risk, slide deck:  Being Least Intrusive; Tool Summary – Being Least Intrusive

Shae Viswanathan, Immigrant Services Society of BC (ISSofBC), slide deck:  Bridging Cultures, Building Confidence

Dr. Balbir Gurm, Network to Eliminate Violence in Relationships (NEVR), slide deck:  NEVR Elder Abuse Toolkit

Sandy Zeznik, Seniors in Partnership – Cranbrook, slide deck:  Personal Health Information Booklet

Anjali Marshall & Nancy Devries, Smithers Senior Citizens Association (SSCA), slide deck:  Connecting Resilient Rural Seniors

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Collaboration Wall

This summary highlights the key themes that emerged from the collaboration wall, reflecting the experience, diverse perspectives, and collective expertise of conference participants. Together, these themes capture current priorities, and help inform next steps for strategic and collaborative planning among organizations:  Collboration Wall Summary