How can faith communities help older people who experience abuse?
Katherine Southern, development manager, Hourglass Scotland
and Northern Ireland,
Tuesday 8 February 2022 – 4.00–5.30 pm. The seminar is free to attend and you can book here.
Hourglass is the only charity dedicated to calling time on the harm, abuse and exploitation of older people across the United Kingdom. With more than 25 years’ experience and expertise, the mission of Hourglass is to listen, advise and support older people at risk of abuse and their loved ones throughout the UK.
Every year, more than a million older people are physically, psychologically, financially or sexually abused or neglected in the UK. That’s one in six older people who are victims of abuse.
What can faith communities do to respond to this epidemic of violence? In this talk, which will be followed by a Q&A, the development manager for Hourglass Scotland, Katherine Southern, will provide an overview of what all faith communities should know in order to effectively recognise and respond to abuse.
The talk will cover what the charity knows about the scope and nature of abuse of older people in Scotland, the effects of the pandemic on older people at risk of abuse and the warning signs of abuse and neglect. The talk will also address how faith leaders can help prevent abuse by creating communities receptive to the voices of survivors, and how they can respond to the spiritual needs of victims and survivors.
Katherine Southern is originally from the USA, where she was an elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and she is now a member of the Church of Scotland. She served on the interfaith council at her university and maintains an interest in interfaith work.
You can also read a blog by Katherine Southern about elder abuse as a prelude to the seminar.