Prof. Elsie YAN, a member of the Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC) and Professor in the Department of Applied Social Sciences, launched the project “Happy Edward” in 2021. The project aims to identify known or suspected elder abuse cases and provide support such as counselling, family mediation and health management through visits and community activities. Since its launch, the project has screened over 2,300 elders and detected about 350 cases that are at high risk of elder abuse, of which more than 100 cases have received support. The project is funded by Lee Hysan Foundation and has been extended to 2027, with the goal of supporting 400 abuse cases.
Prof. Yan pointed out that many abusers are children or spouses of the elders, and there are many reasons for elder abuse. She also emphasized the importance of public education in preventing elder abuse, stating that elders need to know their rights to protect themselves, family members can reflect on whether their behaviour is abusive, and neighbours can lend a helping hand if they suspect elder abuse.
| Research Units | Mental Health Research Centre |
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