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What is outreach?
Outreach
refers to the process by which the public or professionals
are made aware of a problem, informed of available services,
and instructed in what they can do to help. In the field
of elder abuse prevention, outreach has accomplished the
following:
- Alerted
professionals, policy makers, and the public about the
nature and extent of abuse
- Familiarized
those in need about available services and how to access
them
- Enlisted
the support of interested persons to advocate for new
services and policy, spread the word about the problem,
and serve as volunteers
- Sent
a warning to perpetrators and would be perpetrators
- Conveyed
the message to the vulnerable that they are not alone
and encouraged them to seek or accept help
Outreach
may be general in scope, reaching a broad audience, or it
may target specific groups. Groups that are typically targeted
by elder abuse prevention programs are:
- Professionals
- Victims
or vulnerable persons
- Persons
who have witnessed abuse or are likely to
- Policy
makers
- Members
of specific ethnic or cultural groups
- Homebound
or isolated seniors
- Perpetrators
or potential perpetrators
The
outreach message
Outreach
campaigns and activities can convey a variety of messages
to achieve specific goals. "Elderly Pennsylvanians Deserve
Honor and Respect, Not Abuse," for example, was the keystone
of a campaign carried out by the Pennsylvania Department
of Aging Services, after focus groups revealed that seniors
didn't like being portrayed as passive victims. AARP chose
the message "Telemarketing is a crime," after a survey revealed
that although seniors felt that telemarketing was wrong,
many didn't view it as criminal.
Reaching
special populations
Special
efforts may be needed to reach individuals who are isolated
as a result of illness or disability, geography, low literacy,
language, or cultural factors. A variety of innovative approaches
have been developed to overcome specific obstacles.
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