116 Elder Abuse Awareness Abuse can happen to people of all ages from all walks of life. By staying involved with people and activities, you are less likely to be abused. Staying active and involved also helps you stay healthy. These are some things you can do to look after your well-being: • Stay connected. Be in regular contact with people who support you and respect your decisions. • Get involved. Find places in your community that offer activities and events where you can meet people. • Reach out to others. Help to make a more caring community. • Have fun. Do things that give you enjoyment, strength, and comfort. • Stay physically active. Keep moving. Eat regularly and well. • Pay attention to your finances. Be involved in and aware of what is happening with your money and belongings. Protect your right to make your own decisions. • Get support. If you feel depressed, talk to a friend, faith leader, or social service agency in your community. You don’t have to be alone with problems. Ask for help. Remember… You have a right to be treated with respect. You have a right to be safe. You have a right to make your own choices. Challenge ageist attitudes Our attitudes about aging can make us more vulnerable to abuse and more likely to behave abusively. The word "ageism" refers to attitudes and beliefs that cause people to treat older adults as if they were less important or less valued just because they are older. These attitudes are a factor in abusive situations because they allow people to believe it’s acceptable to ignore or control the older person. Ageist attitudes can also prevent people from recognizing and responding to the problems of older adults—including signs of abuse or neglect. Discriminating against people because they are older (or younger) is wrong. We have a shared responsibility to challenge ageist attitudes wherever we see them— both in ourselves and in other people. What you can do about ageism 1. Identify the myths and misinformation Recognize the myths about aging and negative attitudes about older adults. Start challenging the myths. 2. Go beyond the stereotypes A label like "elderly" or "senior" does a poor job of describing a person. These labels do not tell us whether the person is kind or uncaring; healthy or sick; mentally capable; or a reliable or unreliable worker or volunteer. Labels do not tell us about the person’s capacity for friendship or creativity or accomplishment. We de-personalize older adults by referring to them generically as "the elderly" or "our seniors." So… •Recognize people as individuals. PREVENTION: STAY INVOLVED. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS. Man photo created by prostooleh - www.freepik.com continued
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