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Lecture on elder abuse, Sombor


14/10/2019

A lecture on elder abuse was organised at the premises of Association of Pensioners Sombor on 26 September 2019, in cooperation with the Red Cross of Sombor and support provided by the City of Sombor Assembly. The lecture was attended by several dozen pensioners, the town hall member responsible for healthcare and social welfare, Dr Dalibor  Forgic, the Red Cross of Sombor Secretary Biljana Klipa, and it was delivered by Natasa Todorovic, the Red Cross of Serbia expert, psychologist with vast experience in ageing and working with older people, as well as in elder abuse where she published a number of scientific papers and books.

One of the important points when it comes to elder abuse is that this form of abuse is usually not discussed in public. It is one of the last remaining societal taboos, a form of gender-based violence still considered a family matter that other people should ignore. During her lecture, Natasa Todorovic talked about different types of elder abuse: physical, psychological, financial, sexual abuse and neglect, describing the indicators and explaining who to contact if it is identified. Her recommendations include changes to Family Law and Criminal law so that older persons are recognised as persons at special risk, changing the public image of older persons and ageing in order to eradicate long standing prejudices that may lead to violence and abuse, as well as support to informal caregivers in order to reduce the risk of their burnout and therefore the risk of elder abuse as well.