World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), June 15th, is one of many opportunities for older survivors to share their perspectives and experiences. Together, the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) and the National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life (NCALL) are Lifting up Voices for WEAAD and bringing to the forefront the lived experiences of older people around the globe.
When older survivors have a platform for sharing their stories, it helps to build and reinforce the resilience many survivors rely on to move through their healing and access to safety and justice. Centering the voices of older survivors is a critical way that programs and communities can provide support based on needs identified directly from older adults.
Julie Schoen, NCEA Deputy Director, recently sat down with Bonnie Brandl, Director of NCALL, and Jim Vandenbosch, filmmaker with Terra Nova Films, to discuss their compelling journey in developing the Lifting Up the Voices of Older Survivors video project. To commemorate WEAAD, the NCEA just released this podcast.
We also invite you to visit liftingupvoices.net to find the full-length videos of the featured clips and hear other powerful stories from this project.
About the Lifting Up the Voices of Older Survivors video project
In 2017, NCALL and Terra Nova Films received funding from the Office for Victims of Crime to create the Lifting Up the Voices of Older Survivors video project. Released in 2019, these nine videos reveal the stories of older survivors who have experienced one or more of the following crimes: intimate partner violence, financial exploitation, financial scams, sexual assault, sexual abuse, and stalking.
The stories in this innovative project share the strength and resiliency of older survivors and highlight the impact of elder abuse on older adults and their families. The videos also aim to challenge ageist assumptions about older survivors, examine effective supports and interventions, and strengthen communication and collaboration among professionals to enhance the safety and quality of life of older survivors of abuse.