Elder Abuse and Neglect: What to do.

The Public Guardian and Trustee of British Columbia has published a document on its website on what do in cases of suspected abuse, or neglect, or self neglect of an adult. I have posted an excerpt below.

PGT of BC: Disclaimer: "In an emergency�
If the situation is an emergency and someone's safety or life is at risk you can call the police emergency number for your community.
If it is not an emergency but there is still reason for concern�
If there is a bit of time to take action, you can do one or more of the following:
Talk to the adult if you feel comfortable doing so to find out if they need assistance and if there's someone you can contact for them.

Phone one of the Community Numbers in your community.

Phone the Designated Agency Number for your community if you have any doubt about whether the adult can seek help on their own. Under Part 3 of the Adult Guardianship Act , designated agencies must look into reports of adult abuse or neglect they receive. See Protecting Adults from Abuse and Neglect for more information.

For information on the Public Guardian and Trustee's role in helping an adult get support and receiving reports of abuse or neglect, visit the Services to Adults Assessment and Investigations page.

Phone VictimLINK 1�800�563�0808, which is a toll-free, 24 hour-a-day, seven day-a-week support and referral service.

Phone the BC Coalition to Eliminate Abuse of Seniors during regular weekday hours 1�866�437�1940 (toll free) to get information about who else can help. "