Executive Council
March 25, 2014

The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Joan Shea, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women:

Respect Aging Training Program Unveiled

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House of Assembly today to announce that Respect Aging, a new training program under the Provincial Government’s Violence Prevention Initiative, was unveiled at a recent provincial stakeholder’s conference on the topic of the prevention of violence against older persons.

Over the last four years, the Women’s Policy Office, through the Violence Prevention Initiative, has worked in partnership with the Office for Aging and Seniors, a Provincial Advisory Committee of government and community representatives, and an Advisory Committee of Aboriginal governments and organizations, to develop, deliver and evaluate training and education materials to assist in the recognition, prevention and intervention of violence against older persons in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, the Respect Aging training program is a comprehensive resource package for those who work in the area of violence prevention against older persons. Resources include a 16-module education participant manual, an accompanying trainer’s guide, as well as a second trainer’s guide for law enforcement agencies. PowerPoint slides have also been developed to accompany both training guides, and all resources are featured on a new website, www.respectaging.ca . These resources are available to those who work with older persons, as well as anyone in the public interested in the prevention of violence against older persons.

Since October of 2013, the Violence Prevention Initiative has held train-the-trainer sessions with staff of the four Regional Health Authorities, the RNC and the RCMP in preparation for the unveiling of the program. A session for the Violence Prevention Initiative partners and stakeholder’s was held on Wednesday, March 19, after the program was unveiled. Additional training sessions are taking place with community partners and other audiences in the coming year.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage everyone to visit www.respectaging.ca to learn more about our new training program, and how each and every one of us can play a part in preventing all forms of violence against older persons. Older persons, and all vulnerable populations in our society, Mr. Speaker, deserve to live in violence-free and safe communities.

Thank you.

2014 03 25                                        1:55 p.m.