Ongoing projects

Silent Voices

Those that are most susceptible to abuse are those that are the most vulnerable in our society.  The elderly, especially the frail and isolated ones in seniors’ residences, fall into this category whereby their physical and/or cognitive impairments result in others regarding them as “objects” as opposed to human beings.  This perception by caregivers (family or professional) may result in mistreatment and lack of respect and dignity of these individuals, which in turn perpetuates their own lack of self-respect and isolation from the social network.  The objective of the Silent Voices project is to recreate, reestablish and maintain the identity of seniors in residences.  Following interviews with residents, their families and caregivers in addition to organized activities, personal profiles are created to emphasize the value of each individual throughout their lives, rather than focusing on the physical and/or mental illnesses that appear to define them in their senior years.  Furthermore, the project enables the seniors to become involved in the recreation of their identity and to interact with other individuals, thus decreasing their isolation. The project reinforces the idea that each individual needs to be acknowledged for his/her unique and authentic choices, thereby restoring self-dignity.  The emphasis on the individual as a vibrant, decision-making human being helps to eliminate any perception of being perceived as an “object”, thus reducing the chances of being treated (or mistreated) as such.

Generations Together

Generations Together is an intergenerational program that brings together high school students and seniors for conversation and relationship-building through animated discussions about aging issues and concerns of youth.  This program encourages and reinforces the positive images of seniors to the youngsters, and vice versa, and helps to sensitize each group to the special needs of the other, thereby being an important tool in the effort to prevent elder abuse and ageist attitudes.

HLM Activity project

The idea for this project arose when it was clearly recognized during the Partners Against Crime Project that there exists a great need for regular activities at the HLM to help minimize the isolation of its residents, to improve the quality of life for these seniors and to promote a community-minded setting whereby residents can develop supportive relationships with one another.  HLMs are low income housing units. Currently, two McGill Social Work students engage in weekly afternoon two-hour sessions with the residents of HLM Monkland over a period of three months.  Due to the diverse cultural backgrounds of the residents, the students have had to be creative in order to appeal to the different languages and interests.  To enhance communication and interactions, the students have engaged in activities such as: animated games (“Wheel of Fortune”, “Jeopardy”), guest speakers (on nutrition, personal safety, astrology), movies (followed by discussions) and baking sessions (with cross-cultural sharing of recipes).  The program has been met with much enthusiasm and appreciation by the residents who are recognizing the importance of participating in a communal sense, thereby improving their quality of life.