To understand Elder Abuse, we need to recognize the ways our society discriminates against older adults. Ageism is defined as the attitudes and beliefs that cause people to treat older adults as if they were less important or less valued. These attitudes are a significant factor in abusive situations because they allow people to believe that they have the right to ignore, harm or control an older adult.

In the summer of 2022, Theatre of the Beat connected with older adults groups across Ontario to research the topic of elder abuse. This resulted in the creation and successful run of our play, “Mother,” in the Fall of 2023 - which we brought to senior’s residences and long term care homes across the country. “Mother,” an exploration of the dark and desparate realities of financial elder abuse, inspired this urgent and necessary workshop.

Your group will:

Define elder abuse and understand how ageism manifests in our society
Identify the types of elder abuse and warning signs to look out for within both oppressors and survivors
Using Augusto Boal’s Forum Theatre method, develop effective strategies for preventing elder abuse in their communities
Learn to use the memorable tool “See it, Name it, Check it.”
Be equipped with a resource package for further knowledge on how to be an active bystander and a list of Senior’s crisis lines to call.