Seniors Reaching out to Seniors: An Elder Abuse Awareness and Financial Literacy Workshop Program for Older Adults

The BC Centre for Elder Advocacy and Support (BCCEAS) developed a workshop toolkit on elder abuse prevention through a three-year project that was funded by the Human Resources and Skills Development Canada under the New Horizons for Seniors Program. The workshop program utilizes the peer-to-peer model, with trained older adults delivering information on elder abuse prevention and financial literacy to their peers, Since 2011, BCCEAS has delivered over 500 workshops using this model to almost 5,000 older adults, in addition to training community groups to establish their own seniors reaching out to seniors program, in communities across BC.

The webinar will share learnings on the strategies of a peer-to-peer educational model on elder abuse prevention, through examination of the recruitment and training of volunteers, program delivery, evaluation and community networking, and use this knowledge to help organizations establish a volunteer-driven elder abuse prevention program in their communities.

The BC Centre for Elder Advocacy and Support (BCEAS) is a registered non-profit society that works to prevent and end elder abuse by providing education, support, advocacy and legal representation to older adults through an Elder Law Clinic and Legal Advocacy Program for marginalized and low income older adults, a Victim Services Program and the Seniors Abuse and Information Line (SAIL).

Who should attend
Individuals and organizations across Canada involved in the protection and wellbeing of elders and in the prevention of elder abuse.

Advisor on tap
Grace Balbutin
Soon after her arrival in Vancouver, BC, Grace became involved in non-profit organizations as a settlement worker for new immigrants, followed by five years of front-line work in a rape crisis line and transition house and another five years as a Legal Advocate assisting temporary workers in the federal live-in caregiver program on immigration and employment matters.
She joined BCCEAS in 2008 and is currently the Director of the Seniors Abuse and Information Line (SAIL) and the Program Manager for the BCCEAS Community-Based Victim Services Program. She received her BA in Behavioural Sciences and pursued a Master Degree program in the Philippines.