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Community Corner

Breaking the Silence: Voices of Hope

ORIGINAL PLAY RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT ELDER ABUSE TO

BE PERFORMED AT THE STONEHAM SENIOR CENTER ON THURSDAY, MAY 22

On Thursday, May 22, 2014, the Stoneham Council on Aging, in
conjunction with the Elder Justice Network of the Greater North Shore and
Stoneham TRIAD, will present an original play entitled, “Breaking the
Silence:  Voices of Hope.”  The play, which presents real and inspiring
stories from victims of elder abuse and neglect, will be presented at 10:00
a.m. at the Stoneham Senior Center
, 136 Elm Street.  The play will be acted out by local seniors.  Admission is free and all members of the
community are invited to attend.  Please
RSVP to the Stoneham Senior Center at 781-438-1157 by May 20 as seating is
limited.

“This is not an easy topic for most people to talk about, so
we wanted to find a creative way to raise awareness about the problem but in a
forum that will give hope to victims,” says Katie Galenius, LICSW, who is a
co-chair of the Elder Justice Network and the director of a unique program at
Greater Lynn Senior Services (GLSS) that offers help and support to older women
throughout the North Shore who are the victims of abuse by an intimate spouse
or partner.  “What we find is that these
performances really get people thinking and talking about elder abuse and
neglect—which is the reason we started the Elder Justice Network in the first
place.” The play’s premiere performance was held at the Beverly Senior Center
in the spring of 2010 and has since been performed at several other area senior
centers.

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“Elder abuse is a rapidly growing problem, despite the fact
that it remains one of the most underreported crimes nationwide,” said
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan. 
“Elder abuse comes in many different forms, from physical and
psychological abuse to financial scams and caretaker neglect.  Through my county-wide Elder Abuse Task
Force, we have been working with police and community partners to address this
issue in a coordinated, collaborative way. 
If you believe that you are the victim of elder abuse, please contact
the Stoneham Police Department.  Making a
timely report is important to protecting you, and may also help to protect your
friends and neighbors.”

“I am proud that our seniors have taken on this important
topic and are working so hard to bring it to the attention of the rest of the
community,” said Maureen Canova, Director of the Stoneham Senior Center.

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The Elder Justice Network of the Greater North Shore, a
grassroots, community-based group of volunteers, is sponsored by GLSS.  For more information about joining or to
request a presentation about elder abuse and neglect to a group in your
community, contact Katie Galenius, LICSW, at 781-586-8668.

The Stoneham Senior Center is overseen by the Stoneham
Council on Aging—a group of appointed citizen representatives—and offers a
broad range of social, educational, recreational, and health and wellness
programs—including an affordable lunch every weekday—for people age 60 and
older.  Stoneham TRIAD is the group that
works with local public safety and health departments to help ensure that
seniors in our community are safe.  

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