World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) is an important day for raising awareness about elder abuse prevention and intervention. In Maine, elder abuse awareness is particularly important due to our state’s rapidly aging population.
Every year, the Maine Council on Elder Abuse Prevention asks all elder abuse prevention and intervention advocates to get involved in raising awareness about elder abuse.
Maine Council on Elder Abuse Prevention
2023 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Social Media Campaign
Goal: For Council-affiliated organizations to share graphics via social media which encourage Mainers to take action for older adults this WEAAD.
Platforms: Please post the prepared graphics on Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter – whatever your agency uses.
Messaging: We have developed shared graphics but not shared text to accompany those graphics; please personalize for your audience.
Hashtags: Alongside your messages, please use the hashtags #WEAAD #WEAAD2023 #ElderAbuse #ElderAbusePrevention
Timing: WEAAD is Thursday, June 15th. Members should share one graphic in the week leading up to the campaign, one on the 15th, and one in the week following the campaign.
Elder Abuse Prevention Essay Contest
In 2016, the Maine Council for Elder Abuse Prevention (MCEAP) and the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC Maine) began working together to raise awareness about elder abuse in Maine by co-sponsoring an elder abuse prevention essay contest for high school students. This year, MCEAP and GFWC Maine received 80 scholarship contest entries responding to the questions “What is elder abuse and why does it matter to you?”
At a virtual conference held via Zoom on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (June 15), MCEAP and GFWC Maine announced that Renee Lapointe, a student at Van Buren District Secondary School in Aroostook County was the statewide winner, as well as the winner in Aroostook County. Ms. Lapointe received $1,000.00 for the statewide prize. In addition to the statewide winner, each participating county selected a county winner who was awarded a modest prize.
Click here to read the winning essay.