"Preventing Elders victimization and Financial Abuse” campaign launched (Argentina Jul.07)
Activities and Projects Late 2006 and 2007
Lia Daichman, President, ILC-Argentina
Also "The 20 Geriatric Guidelines for Health Professionals working with the Elders” (in Spanish) is to be done on the subject in South America and which could be used as well by some other Latin American Spanish speaking countries being sponsored by some Medical Labs.
Due to the great increase of Elder Victimization within the community during the year 2005 and 2006, the Eckman Foundation, the National Direction of the of Elder's Policies, Ministry of Social Development and ILC-ARG developed a campaign at a national level on Crime Prevention and the Elders , which was launched in May 2006 by raising awareness on the subject and by means of education leaflets, posters, open discussions at different levels, national websites and a great support from the media.
A three days meeting was also organized for primary Health Care Workers and the community by the Provincial Government and the Police Department Mendoza, the National Direction of Elder's Policies and sponsored by INPEA and ILC-Argentina.
A new and more intense campaign to continue Preventing Elders Victimization and Financial Abuse was launched by ILC-ARG, INPEA-ARG, and The Government of the City of Buenos Aires, the National Direction of Elder's Policies, National Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Security and the Argentinean Federal Police.
Pan-American Congress, Puebla, México, May 2007. Dr Lia Daichman, INPEA`s President organized with INPEA LA Reg. Rep and INPEA Mexican Nat. Rep, two Invited Symposia, one on the Latin American countries and the other with North American Representatives on "Elder Abuse is getting OLD in America” and a half-day, Train the Trainer Course for nearly 350 Health Primary Workers on Elder Abuse and Neglect.
INPEA, the Eckman Foundation and ILC-ARG successfully worked in partnership and with the full support of the Argentinean National Government and the Government of the City of Buenos Aires to organize the First World Day Awareness Day on Elder Abuse which was held in Buenos Aires DC as well as several other cities of Argentina on June 15th, 2006, simultaneously with the UN (New York), as in so many other countries and regions of the world.
WDAEA 2007 was successfully being planned for June 15th at Buenos Aires DC as well as the rest of the country. Dr. Alex Kalache (WHO) and I, co-chaired the main global event which this year was held in Geneva, Switzerland with the participation of important key-note speakers such as Baroness Sally Greengross, Mr. Stephen Lewis (Canada) and the Help Age Chief Executive Mr. Richard Blewitt following by a wonderful Reception, graciously offered by the Mayor of Geneva.
Since October 2005 the Eckman Foundation, ILC-ARG and the Gerontological Society of Buenos Aires, by means of a contract with the National Director of Elder's Policies, had been officially giving two eight months Courses to train and supervise human resources, mainly middle aged females as Formal Caregivers and Auxiliaries on Gerontology, as a result of a high need and demand from the labor market, and as a part of one of the National Ministry of Development Social Programs for the Aged, already being done nearly in all Argentinean's Provinces. We are about to start two new courses in the next few weeks and hope to follow the same pattern for the rest of 2007. Until now 103 Caregivers have successfully finished their formal training at the Eckman Foundation and ILC-ARG. Fairly recently and in partnership also with the Eckman Foundation we have started to collaborate on the creation of a formal National Pool of Caregivers, with the full support from the National Labor Ministry and with PAMI, which is the National Social Insurance which covers Health and Social Services, as well as Social Security of 80% of the Argentinean elder's population.
The Argentinean Gerontological Society and ILC-ARG announced the successful 2006 Lecture in Gerontology which featured Dr Rosa Resnik, PhD/DSW, International Immigrants Foundation, International Association of Schools of Social Work, Representative to the UN/ECOSOC and DPI, on September 5th,2006 at the Eckman Foundation in Buenos Aires DC. Also at the end of last year a well attended Seminar, on "Different forms of Discrimination in Old Age” for Health professionals, given by Prof. Ricardo Iacub, from Buenos Aires National University. A monthly seminar on Ageing Health Related Issues is currently being organized by our Psycho geriatric Team and invited Speakers such as "Reflex ions, Morbidity and Dependence in Residential Care” by Psychologist Rosa Aizen on June 2007.
Other Activities and Services
Courses for Health Professionals on "Body Work, Memory stimulation and psycho physical well-being” by our Physiotherapist, OT and Clinical Psychologists specialized in Old Age. (since 2003 in partnership with the Eckman Foundation)
Since 2005 ILC-ARG and the Eckman Foundation provides free Medical and Social Assessment and advising elders and their families on Day Care, Home Care and Long Term Care.
Since 2006, a well known Psycho geriatric team provides two Out-Patient's Clinics to the aged population with psychological problems for a quite small fee
Next July 2007: Starting a new project:” Between Peers”. Training on Human Rights and Empowerment, (40 elders), in partnership with INPEA-ARG and the INDES Foundation.
VI European Congress of IAGG – "HEALTHY AND ACTIVE AGEING FOR ALL EUROPEANS”, July 5 - 8, 2007, Saint Petersburg, Russia.
I shall participate of the IAGG Member's Council, as Chair of the INPEA European Regional Meeting and as a Speaker in the Invited Symposium: "Age discrimination and elder abuse".
Finally and due to financial difficulties, which we hadn't able to solve yet, we are still finding rather hard to get sufficient funding to develop more projects for the near future.
It is still our hope to be able to start as soon as possible a Worldwide Research, (may be between all ILC-Centers), on Female Ageing, Poverty, Discrimination, Human Rights and Empowerment. 
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