For Help & Information, call our 24-hour hotline 1-888-888-7702 Abuse in Later Life Understand. Respond. Protect

For Help & Information, call our 24-hour hotline 1-888-888-7702

Abuse in Later Life

Understand. Respond. Protect


Objectives

• Explore the definition of culture• Understand challenges and barriers

elderly survivors in the Asian-American community face

• Recognize effective outreach strategies and the significance of raising awareness on elder abuse


History and Mission

New York Asian Women’s CenterFounded in 1982

•Largest Asian-American domestic violence organization in the nation•Assist women, men and children overcome domestic violence, human trafficking, sexual assault by empowering them towards self-sufficiency


History and Mission

• Raise public awareness on violence against women, domestic violence, human trafficking and sexual assault

• Each year, 3,000 hotline calls and offer counseling and advocacy assistance to approximately 600 battered women and their children.

• 19 different Asian languages and dialects


Elder Abuse Facts

• Limited research study on elderly abuse especially among Asian-American communities

• 76 out of every 1000 elderly New Yorkers are victims of elder abuse in a one year period

• NYC has the third largest Asian elderly population in a major U.S. metropolitan area. From 2000 to 2010 the Asian senior population grew 64%

• Asian seniors: 45% in Queens; 25% in Manhattan; 23% in Brooklyn


• Broader definition of Culture: – Ethnicity – Poverty– Socio-economic status– Migration history– Education– Employment – Religion– Geographical community– Generation

What is Culture


What is Culture

• Inter-cultural • Intra-cultural


Cultural Perspective on Elder Abuse

• Unfortunately, perpetrators of elder abuse take advantage of various cultural aspects to maintain power and control

• Various cultural aspects affect abilities of individuals and communities to acknowledge the existence of elder abuse

• Cultural barriers to seeking help for elder abuse• Survivors of elder abuse are strong and resilient


Story of Elder Abuse Survivor

65-year old person called the Hotline wanting to talk to someone. After building trust and relationship, the caller disclosed that the relationship with the adult daughter has not been good for years. The person was living with the daughter who controlled all of the money and often threatens to throw the caller out of their home. The person distrusts authority figures and did not want to create a big problem out of this. The caller just wanted to know what to do.



• Gender: Male• Migration History: Escaped from abusive

partner (mother of their daughter) in China by paying a huge amount of money to the “Snakehead”

• Immigration Status: Undocumented • Country of Birth: China • Religion: Christianity



• English Proficiency: Limited• Community Role: Traditional values

attached to a father figure in a Chinese family


Services at NYAWC

• 24 Hour Multilingual Hotline • Crisis Intervention• Emergency Shelter, Transitional Housing• Counseling and Case Management• Wellness Activities • Immigration Services• Children’s Program• Referrals• Community Education and Outreach


Effective Outreach Strategies

• Identify strengths of the community• Recognize and acknowledge community

leaders• Language• Various forms of ethnic media


For More Information

Kayla Chan Later-in-Life Counselor Advocate New York Asian Women’s Center32 Broadway, 10th FloorNew York, NY [email protected]: (212) 732-0054 ext. 132 | Hotline: 1-888-888-7702

Documents

For Help & Information, call our 24-hour hotline 1-888-888-7702 Abuse in Later Life Understand. Respond. Protect