Thanks to the generosity of the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program, we are privileged to be able to start The Senior Ambassadors: Senior Abuser Signs and Symptoms (SASS) Program.
The role of an Ambassador is to expand awareness of elder abuse, including financial abuse. For the last few weeks I have been attending a course given by JSA to prepare volunteers to become Ambassadors.
We were eleven individuals and I was deeply moved and amazed by the enthusiasm and willingness to learn by these individuals willing to devote their lives to help seniors in our community. “What a bunch of wonderful people.” We all became good friends in our sincere desire to help our fellow elders.
Several years ago JSA realized that abuse is becoming a more prevalent problem. As we were preparing for our first Symposium on Seniors’ Abuse, I visited with a rabbi in our community asking him to be a speaker at the symposium. “There is no serious senior abuse in our community”, he said. However, when I presented the facts about abuse to him, the evidence could not be disputed.
Serge Haber
President Emeritus