Siletz news /, January 01, 2011, Page 10, Image 10

Tribal employees
help local food
share with food
drive competition
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First place: Accounting/Public Works
- 654.17 pounds
Second place: CHS/Health Admin-
istration/Clinic Computer System
- 395.52 pounds
Third place: Natural Resources/
Planning - 283.0 pounds
Overall amount donated - $1,332
cash and 874.26 pounds of food
Despite the effect of the economy
on everyone, Tribal employees raised 56
percent more in cash this year. In fact,
in 2009 employees raised $581 in cash
compared to this year’s $1,332 in cash
donations. This also included the “Jeans
for Food” campaign, which was very
successful in the employees’ third year
of raising funds.
Cash donations calculate so that with
every $1 donated, the Siletz Food Share
can purchase $5 worth of food through the
Oregon Food Bank. Essentially the $ 1,332
in cash could provide the Siletz Food
Share with the opportunity to purchase
$6,660 in additional food to distribute to
the community.
“I am very proud of the generosity of
our employees giving back to the local
community during this holiday season and
the Siletz Food Share Program graciously
thanks all who contribute. However, the
Photo by Diane Rodriquez
L to r: Gregg Gubuan, Debbie Williams, Stephanie Chamberlin, Pam Ben, Trish Valet, Bristo Bayya, Kelly Lane, Tricia Daniel,
Christina Frederic, Chris Murphy, Alicia Keene, Karen Bell, Cheryl Lane, Randy Wilson, Cindy Urbach and Will Metcalf
need for assistance and donations for
not only this program but other similar
programs continue throughout the year
in all communities,” said Kelley Ellis,
who coordinated this year’s food drive
along with Wendi Schamp. “I would
encourage everyone to continue or start
contributing to these programs once,
twice or even monthly throughout the
year. There are many ways to contribute,
including household donations, clothing
donations, food donations, cash donations
or volunteering to assist a local program
for a day or even one hour. Everything
adds up and makes a difference. Sharing
and giving to your local community is an
amazing sensation.”
Photo by Natasha Kavanaugh
L to r: Stan Werth, Sammy Bayya, Bristo Bayya, Eugene “Papa” Williams, Tony
Whitehead and Max Hoover
January notes from the Healthy Family Healthy Child Project
By Mark Kimball, HFHCP Project
Manager
I find myself struggling with writing
this month’s article. It’s probably because
of the disturbing nature of the subject
matter, which is Elder abuse and the
increase noted within the Tribe of
reported Elder abuse.
Distasteful as this subject might be, it
needs to be addressed. The abuse of our
elderly population is not a crime of only
the non-Native society, but is being seen
in all Tribal cultures at an increasing rate
of occurrence and in all of its forms.
There are three indisputable facts
about Elder abuse:
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Other than the victim’s age, Elder
abuse is a crime that is indiscriminate
in choosing whom it strikes. Factors
such as one’s socio-economic status,
gender, race, ethnicity, educational
background and geographic loca­
tion do not provide a barrier against
the abuse.
Elder abuse victims often live in
silent desperation, unwilling or un­
able to seek assistance because they
unfortunately believe their cries for
help will go unanswered and they
fear retaliation from their abusers.
Many Elders remain silent to protect
abusive family members from the
legal consequences of their crimes
or are too embarrassed to admit they
have fallen victim to predators. Oth­
ers fear that no one will believe them,
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Siletz News
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chalking up their allegations to the
effects of old age.
With community vigilance, care
and cooperation, Elder abuse can be
stopped and its perpetrators arrested
and prosecuted. Data tells us that in
the past four years alone, social ser­
vice and law enforcement resources
have expanded dramatically to meet
the growing need. Remember - if
you suspect abuse, report it.
As our Elders become more physi­
cally frail, they are less able to stand up
to bullying or are unable to fight back if
attacked. They may not see or hear as well
or think as clearly as they used to, leaving
themselves open to unscrupulous people
to take advantage of them. Mental and/or
physical ailments may make them more
difficult companions for the people who
live with them or take care of them.
Across the United States, our Elders
are being abused and/or harmed in some
substantial way, often by those people
who are directly responsible for their
care. More than half a million reports of
abuse against the elderly reach authori­
ties every year and millions more cases
go unreported.
Elder abuse tends to take place where
the senior lives. The abuse most often
happens in the home, where the abuser is
often the adult child of the Elder. Other
family members such as grandchildren or
spouses/partners of the Elder can be the
abusers. Institutional settings, especially
January 2011
long-term care facilities, also can be the
source of Elder abuse.
Elder abuse comes in many different
forms, such as:
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Physical Abuse. Physical Elder
abuse is non-accidental use of force
against an elderly person that results
in physical pain, injury or impairment.
Such abuse includes not only physical
assaults, such as hitting or shoving, but
also the inappropriate use of drugs,
restraints or confinement, or prolonged
deprivation of food and/or water.
Emotional Abuse. In emotional or
psychological senior abuse, people
speak to or treat elderly persons in
ways that cause emotional pain or
distress. Verbal forms of emotional
Elder abuse include intimidation
through yelling or threats, humiliation
and ridicule, and habitual blaming
or scapegoating. Another form of
emotional abuse is seen in the form of
non-verbal psychological Elder abuse
and can take the form of ignoring
the elderly person, isolating an Elder
from friends and/or activities, or ter­
rorizing and/or menacing the elderly
person. The elderly also are victims of
emotional abuse if emotional support
is being withheld from them or they
are forcibly confined.
Sexual Abuse. Sexual Elder abuse
is sexual contact with an elderly
person without the Elder’s consent.
Such contact can involve physical sex
acts, but activities such as showing an
elderly person pornographic material,
forcing the person to watch sex acts or
forcing the Elder to undress also are
considered sexual Elder abuse.
Neglect or abandonment by
caregivers. Elder neglect, the failure
to fulfill a caretaking obligation, con­
stitutes more than half of all reported
cases of Elder abuse. It can be active
(intentional) or passive (unintention­
al, based on factors such as ignorance
or denial that an elderly charge needs
as much care as he or she does). Elder
neglect includes the failure to assist
the Elder with personal hygiene,
provide adequate clothing or shelter,
provide adequate medical care, pro­
tect the Elder from health and safety
hazards or prevent malnutrition or
dehydration and self-neglect.
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Financial exploitation. Financial
exploitation involves unauthorized use
of an elderly person’s personal funds
or property, either by a family mem­
ber, a caregiver or an outside scam
artist. A family member or an un­
scrupulous caregiver might misuse an
Elder’s personal checks, credit cards
or bank accounts. They might steal
cash, income checks or household
goods or forge the Elder’s signature.
Identity theft also is on the rise.
Scams. It has been found that some
Elders are susceptible to scams that
target the Elder population. These
can include but are not limited to an-