Last year, the town of Cochrane received provincial funding to establish an Elder Abuse Steering Committee. Bethany Cochrane was honoured to be invited to be part of this group, with a common goal of building a collective and collaborative approach to battling elder abuse. Over the last year members have come together to develop a community driven response and are well on the way to having a framework for reporting, training the community and having a 24 hour response line.
On June 15, Bethany Cochrane played an active role in the annual World Elder Abuse Awareness day. Residents from supportive living attended the event wearing purple clothing, (purple is the colour used worldwide to show awareness for Elder Abuse).
The day commenced with a pancake breakfast held at the Cochrane Legion. Speeches from the committee and Cochrane Mayor Ivan Brooker were shared about the progress of the response plan and the vision for Cochrane to become a community free from elder abuse.
Mayor Brooker also planted a purple lilac tree, the symbol chosen by the steering committee to raise awareness. This was followed by an awareness march along Main Street Cochrane involving Bethany residents and community members. It was great event and we thank the residents and staff of Bethany Cochrane for raising awareness on behalf of all seniors in the community.
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