Family Service Toronto began providing services for seniors more than 50 years ago through Illahee Lodge in Cobourg. Originally conceived as a retreat from the concerns of their everyday lives, the popularity of the lodge made it clear to Family Service Toronto that seniors also needed supports in the city on a full-time basis and for a variety of issues including housing and a related and more hidden issue, elder abuse.

Today, elder abuse continues to be a terrible reality for many seniors and an important issue for Family Service Toronto. Dr. Lisa Manuel, Manager, Seniors and Caregivers Support Service (SCSS) says that at least 50 percent of clients are experiencing abuse and that it is still largely a hidden issue. "Abuse thrives on isolation and for seniors to admit abuse is a huge step," Dr. Manuel says. "Many times we are the first people that an abused senior has talked to."

Family Service Toronto currently provides counselling and options for seniors to be safer in relationships. Options include removing themselves or the perpetrator temporarily or permanently. But this latter part of the work can be complicated, as very few seniors want to sever their relationship fully with a perpetrator who, in many cases, is the adult child. They want the abuse to stop and they want to feel safe but parents often want their child to be helped first. It is a very difficult and emotional time for seniors who are not only dealing with a harmful power imbalance but also with the shame of being abused and the guilt they feel in reporting the abuse if the perpetrator is their own child.

New hope has emerged through the work of Family Service Toronto, and a very special partnership with the Rotary Club of Toronto, to create a refuge for seniors suffering from abuse. Pat's Place is a safe space for seniors to take time out from their current situation and to gain the emotional space to deal with their issues. Seniors can go to this secure and secret location, which is self-contained, and stay for up to 60 days, during which time counsellors will work with them to resolve their problems.

There is no fee for seniors who need this program. Thanks to a seed grant of $15,000 from the Rotary Club of Toronto, the Safe Haven for Seniors project has funding for one year to cover the cost of the accommodation. Further supports are being sought by Family Service Toronto to provide food, clothing, community supports and an emergency lifeline system. Pat's Place will open this fall, 2008.

Dr. Manuel explains the mission of the new program like this: "It will provide a short-term safe haven for older people experiencing abuse. Our primary goal is to provide seniors with a place to make decisions free from the people perpetrating the abuse and free from power and control issues that they have in their own homes."

While Pat's Place is not an emergency shelter, it will provide a peaceful space for one individual at a time and, it is hoped, it will expand to accommodate more people soon. "To our knowledge, this project is the first of its kind in Toronto," says Dr. Manuel. "It is a very positive development to deal with the unique needs of seniors experiencing abuse and we hope we can do even more in the future."

If you suspect someone is being abused, talk to them and find out if they want help. If they do, contact Family Service Toronto's Abuse of Older Adults program at 416-595-9618.

How can I help?

Thanks to the Rotary Club of Toronto, the Safe Haven for Seniors project has funding for one year to cover the cost of the accommodation. Additional financial support is needed to help cover the associated daily operational expenses such as food, clothing, community supports and transportation for the project. If you would like to make a donation to Pat's Place, please contact Murray Rowe, Manager of Development at 416-595-9230 ext. 242