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October 22, 2024

$74,200 OTF Grant from the Ontario Government supports the development of a Community Response Pathway to Elder Abuse

outh East Grey Community Health Centre presentation

Photo left to right: Harold Kloeze, Ontario Trillium Foundation Volunteer, Larry Mann, Chairperson, South East Grey Community Health Centre, Tanya Shute, Director of Community Health, South East Grey Community Health Centre, Rick Byers, MPP for Bruce-Grey-Owen-Sound, Angela Yenssen, Staff Lawyer, Grey-Bruce Community Legal Clinic and Chairperson, Grey Bruce Elder Abuse Prevention Network, Irena Pozgaj-Jones, Optimize Research Project Consultant for Community Connection/211 Central East Ontario.

On Friday October 18, MPP Rick Byers met with representatives from the South-East Grey Community Health Centre (SEGCHC) to hear how their $74,200 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the provincial government’s Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) has enabled them to develop a community response pathway to elder abuse. Thanks to the grant, awarded in 2023, SEGCHC and Grey Bruce Elder Abuse Prevention Network were able to work with senior volunteers to conduct strategic planning and community engagement throughout Grey and Bruce Counties, culminating in a plan that looked at both prevention and response to elder abuse.

“Congratulations to the South-East Grey Community Health Centre on successful receipt of the Ontario Trillium Foundation Grant. Thanks for your great service to our community!” Said MPP Rick Byers.

Funds from the grant helped this project by helping to cover some staffing costs, as well as costs for hosting focus group sessions, and preparing and printing information materials, as well as helping with some technical equipment costs. At the outset, the Grey Bruce Health Unit produced a review of literature and situational assessment to inform planning decisions at the community and organizational level through gathering, analyzing, synthesizing, and communication of data. The document provided current evidence-based knowledge and strategies to reduce the impact of elder abuse and highlight gaps in research and informed collaborative work in building capacity to prevent and address the issue of elder abuse in local communities.

With a focus on the current and future state of elder abuse resources and support, the SEGCHC interviewed 237 seniors through focus group sessions across the area. A total of 78 service providers were surveyed from multiple sectors, including hospital, primary-care, justice, emergency-services, housing, victim-services and community-care. The health centre worked with senior champions to co-design a community response pathway for elder abuse in Grey and Bruce Counties.

“We built strong partnerships with local seniors organizations and included the input of those organizations and our local seniors in the community response pathway,” said Alex Hector, Executive Director of the South East Grey Community Health Centre. The South-East Grey Community Health Centre is a non-profit organization committed to providing primary care services and health programs with a focus on health promotion, illness prevention and comprehensive, client-centred primary care.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Ontario government with a mission to build healthy and vibrant communities across the province. Last year, OTF invested more than $110M into 1,044 community projects and multi-sector partnerships. Projects aim to enhance economic well-being, foster more active lifestyles, support child and youth development, provide spaces for people to come together and connect, and create a more sustainable environment. Visit otf.ca to learn more.

 


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