Rob Miyashiro (left) and Amy Cook at the LSCO, March 6, 2024. (Photo: LNN)

By Joel Mendelson

Elder Abuse

“The problem is the way they did it”: LSCO issues statement over LEARN funding cut

Mar 7, 2024 | 12:19 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization (LSCO) officials spoke on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, about the province’s decision to end funding for the Lethbridge Elder Abuse Response Network (LEARN).

LSCO has run the LEARN program for 12 years. As a result of the program’s success, it has been widely adopted throughout the province as a guide for communities to implement elder abuse programs.

Rob Miyashiro, executive director of the LSCO said, “We developed a model for emergency placement for seniors at imminent risk of abuse. That’s a partnership with the Green Acres Foundation, and it’s called the LEARN model because what we do is hide seniors in plain sight.”

He continued, “It’s such a good model that the department of seniors, housing community and social services has adopted it as a best practice, and they are funding that same kind of model of support for seniors at risk across the province.”

Three years ago, the government of Alberta began a review of the program’s funding.

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Miyashiro explained the response. He said, “So what they came back with and that has been implemented recently, was a regional model for dealing with victim services. So all the municipalities that have their own police departments can keep their own victim services and still get funded by this money. But the rural ones that are served by the RCMP are now lumped in regions.”

Miyashiro continued, “For example, southern Alberta regional victims services society, which they’ve created for this, is based in Airdrie. And they cover all the victims services societies in Coaldale and Bow Island and Fort Macleod.”

Amy Cook is the case manager for LEARN. She explained this could potentially affect many people.

Cook said, “It has the potential to impact every senior ever in Lethbridge and in the surrounding area because elder abuse doesn’t discriminate. Seniors of any socio-economic status, any ethnicity, any race, any age, any cognitive ability can face elder abuse.”

She added, “It’s going to directly affect at least the 30 people that I had to phone and say ‘hey I know that you’re scared, I know that you just told me yesterday that you’re so thankful there’s at least help for you, but I can’t actually help you anymore’.’”

The organization is confident that it will regain its funding, although it will reportedly not be quick.

Miyashiro said, ““I am optimistic that we can get some funding. I don’t know what that looks like, I don’t know how much that is, but I’m optimistic that we can get something, because like I said, the funding they’re giving out is based on our model. We just were getting it from a different source before. So now we will be getting it from the same source as some other groups around the province, but again, it’s going to be half a year.”

Cook described how the fallout will occur in the near future.

She said, “Over the next six months is where it’s really going to be hard, because we’re going to continue to get calls here at the senior centre looking for elder abuse support, we’re going to continue to have to– I’m going to have to continue to have that conversation with different people, and they’re going to ask, ‘who do I call’ and the answer is going to be ‘there isn’t anybody’.”’

Cook said the gap is so concerning because of the lack of legislation surrounding elder abuse. It is not a criminal offence unless it’s physical abuse, sexual assault, or theft, so there is a grey area in which elders can be abused.

The LSCO has drafted a letter for residents to send to Ross Nairne, Assistant Deputy Minister, which voices displeasure regarding the funding cut.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now.

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