World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, June 15



Contact: Troy Johnson, Nursing Home Ombudsman



Background Information

Mark your calendars! The 7th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) on Friday, June 15, 2012. Show the world you care about ending elder abuse and neglect by wearing something purple on this day.

June 15, 2012 the Lexington Community will celebrate World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) and hold events designed to raise their communities’ awareness of elder abuse. The first Awareness Day in 2006 involved several hundred organizations and governmental bodies at international, national, regional, local, community and neighborhood level, in every continent in the world. The day is in support of the United Nations International Plan of Action which recognizes the significance of elder abuse as a public health and human rights issue. Governments, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, religious groups, professionals in the field of aging, interested individuals as well as older persons themselves will promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons by organizing activities around the world to raise awareness of the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect.

Throughout the world, abuse and neglect of older persons is largely under-recognized or treated as an unspoken problem. Unfortunately, no community or country in the world is immune from this costly, public health and human rights crisis. Research indicates that public education campaigns like World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) are vital for informing people in a growing number of countries about elder abuse and active involvement of the media is central to its success.



“My World…Your World… Our World – Free of Elder Abuse”