B6 CASTLEGAR NEWS, JUNE 24, 1981
Abuse of the elderly

Not such golden years

VANCOUVER (CP) — One
wrong word in an external
affairs department message
resulted in a B.C, woman not
being told that her husband
was missing in Peru.

So the family of Henry
Parnell went to Vancouver
International Airport to meet
him when he was expected to
return from vacation, una-
ware that police were search-
ing for him in the Inca ruins
of Machu Picchu.

The family is angry and
bitter about what they be-
lieve is government ineffici-
ency. But they are over-
whelmingly grateful to Par-
neli's colleagues at B.C, Hy-
dro who contributed more
than $17,000 to help his wife.

Jacqueline Trafton of Del-

ta, B.C., said her 62- -year-old
father, _ Hydro enginer, left
his home in Delta for a
three-week visit to Peru last
Nov. 21. His wife,-Marie, 59,
stayed at home because she
didn't share her husband's
taste for adventurous travel.

“He always travelled by
himself and he was an experi-
enced traveller,” said Traf-
ton.

: His main objective was to
visit Machu Picchu, the ruins
of an Inca city on top of a
2,045-metre mountain in the
Andes.

* ? He left the family a brief
itinerary and sent them a
couple of postcards before
reaching a hotel in Cuzvo, the
hearest town to Machu Pic-
chu.

LAST THEY HEARD

° That was the last- the
family heard of him and they
had no idea anything was
wrong until meeting what
should have been his return
flight to Vancouver on Dee.
4

>On Dec. 16, Traften

phoned the Canadian embas-
sy in Lima, Peru, and was
told that her father had been
reported missing Nov. 29 at
Machu Picchu,

“The embassy told me that
external affairs in Ottawa
had been notified but we'

heard nothing from Ottawa,

said Trafton.

So she called Ottawa and ‘

received confirmation that
her father was missing. She
was told that the failure to
notify the family resulted
from a breakdown in com-
‘munication between Ottawa
and Vancouver. That was the
only explanation she was
given,

“We're fed up with ex-
ternal affairs,” said Trafton,
“It took our lawyer a month
to get a letter out of them so
that my mother could get my
father's affairs straightened
out. External affairs -really
gave us the runaround.

External affairs spokes-
man Rejean Dodd said in Ot-,
tawa that in such a situation
the department notifies the

.RCMP'’s Interpol branch

which contacts the RCMP
detachment nearest the fam-
ily of the missing person and
next of kin is notified.

“In this case, we received a

telegram from our embassy
in Lima on Dec, 9 and the

“next day, we asked RCMP

Interpol to advise their col-
leagues in the Vancouver
area to notify Mr. Parnell's
daughter," said Dodd. “But
the problem here was that
the message to the RCMP
was marked ‘information’
rather than ‘action’ so no ac-
tion was taken to notify the
family,

“We did what had to be
done but it was very unfor-
tunate that the message was

Voice of the People
1971 Grad Reunion

Editer,: Castlegar News:

: On- Wednesday, June 17,
the Castlegar Kiwanis Club
sponsored, on behalf of the
Ganadian Red Cross, a Blood
Donor Clinic, Although the
Brojected target for units of
blood was not achieved, there
ere 274 units collected.

I would like to extend our
Sincere thanks to Kiwanians
Jim Cromwell and Val Go-
‘vender who did an excellent
‘job of organizing the clinic, to
the Pythian Sisters for serv-
ing the refreshments and to
the many volunteers who so
capably assisted the clinic
staff. Thanks also to CKQR
and the Castlegar News for
‘co-operating so nicely in the
‘publicity for the clinic.

‘The United Way is respon-

ible for funding of Red:Cross
activities and to them we.ex-
tend our thanks as well. The
most important people to

The Red cies hopes to
‘become more active in
‘Castlegar and ‘to provide
some of the many. programs

© Drapery

and services it has to offer to
the citizens of this .commun-
ity. The response we re-
ceived from the citizens for
this first major activity in a
few years, proves that
Castlegar is truly made up of
Friends For Life. -

Deborah Chmara
Regional Vice-president
West Kootenay Region
Canadian Red Cross Society

Help your carrier’

Your Castlegar
News carrier will be
collecting for the
poper during the next
jew days,

The job of your
carrier is made easier
if he or she doesn't
have to make a second
or even a third call,

Please consider
your carrier. Ha or.she
is an independent
business person ond
they don't edrn their.

it until you've paid
jor your paper. That's
why. they’ iT] appreciate
it if you're read if the
first time they call

incorrectly labelled. It is not
something that would happen
often.”

The family believes that °
Parnell had an accident, a

“heart attack or got lost while

climbing the rugged moun-
tain trails around the ruins,

But the family does not
think he was robbed or kid-
napped because his travel- |
‘ler's cheques: have not been
cashed.

Wrong word to

WINNIPEG (CP) —- For
some Manitobans, the late
years of life aren’t- golden.
They're black and blue.

The elderly, who might
have expected to spend their
final days in peace, are some-
times mistreated and even
beaten.

Among many. victims,
there is a strong reluctance
to report cases of physical
abuse to the police.

But anyone who doubts the
seriousness of the problem
has only to talk to the Protect
the Elderly Committee.

Committee member Lynn
Fineman says authorities are *

* prompt to investigate symp-

toms of child abuse, but
aren’t as vigilant when the
ones who are hurt are el-
derly.

She said authorities don't
ask the right questions
“when the older person
shows up in hospital with
cracked ribs or black and
blue eyes, and someone says"
they fell.

“But did they fall because
somebody pushed them, or
maybe yanked them too hard
to get them out of the bath-
tub?”

More common than in-
stances of actual physical
abuse are the cases of neglect
or inadequate care, said
Fineman, The committee's
list of cases includes the fol-
lowing examples:

+ A 99-year-old man, con-
fined to an upstairs bedroom,
was turned down when ho
wanted to go to a nursing
hone. The.man has-a TV set
in his.room..-and his food is. .
sent on a tray;

—An elderly man had his
life savings invested by
friends in a company that
later went bankrupt. The
friends were guilt-stricken
but the man was left flat
broke;

— A blind woman in her
‘10s was kept tied to the foot

of a bed because the family «

was “afraid she would get
lost.”

Pinelman contends a prot-
ective service should be
established for vulnerable
adults.

The service would have
authority equal to child wel-
fare agencies and woul be
able to intervene in cases of
abuse or neglect involving
defenceless adults, not nec-
essary only the old and
feeble.

‘It’s not just the elderlyt
that are at risk,” Fineman

says.

“We've got a lot of 45,
50-year-old people who, as a
result of mental or physical
disability, are vulnerable and,
totally dependent. °

‘Bunch -

atthe

Opps ' N ENDS:

Savoon,. -
Famous “iskiowy yar.
dage & remnanrs-for
> dressmaking or
Adecorate wth
drapery, “bpholsiery
ond vinyls,

-f  OnEntire Stock ©
New: Arrivals included™

Quality Remnants for
Dressmaking or Decorating

© Upholstery © Naugahyde
From the factory to you .

ODDS 'N ENDS

——_—_remnant—

fo- so
§:30 p.m. 1501 2nd Ave,, East Troil

shop——

368-5122

Friends
Editor, Castlegar News:
The 1971 graduates of
Stanley Humphries Second-
ary School are celebrating
their 10th year reunlon on
July 8 to 5. Activities are
planned for both the gradu-.
ates and their families,
All 1971 grads and teach-
ers of SHSS are urged to
send in their” régistration

“If the carekeeper chooses
not to act in their best
interest there’s very ‘little
they can do about it.”

‘AKE OVER MO)

Phyllis Olson, another ‘com:
mittee member, said a com--
mon problem is abuse of an
elderly person's financial re-
sources, after a son or daugh-
ter takes over the money.

Olson safdthere have been
cases of parents paying up to
$400 a. month for a small
one-room dwelling on the
family property, with no sep-

. arate toilet or water facil

ities,

“This is fairly common,”
said Olson. “Then wo have
old people that are locked in
their bedrooms and not al-
lowed out — I know of two
instances of that right now.”

Psychological abuse also is
common, with elderly people
“made to feel a burden and a
nuisance, a millstone . , . it’s
really a miserable situation
for them to be in,’

Olson said sometimes

for Life

aged, the’ Dutch’ crulse ‘shi
ha ‘at

forms or contact Sandi Cram —

at 865-2670 or Margie Bone at
, Looking forward to seeing
you at the 1971 Grad Re-
uniont »_ ” .

there is a role reversal when
the elderly, who once wielded
authority in the family, begin
to turn to thelr offspring for
advice.

“The person you have
looked to for guidance and
counsel all'your life suddenly
looks to you for these
things said Olson. “It's not.
easy. iy."

Social agencies suspect the
cases that come to their
‘notice aré only the ‘tip of the
iceberg, but’ Olsen’ said it's
difficult to determine 'the ac-
tual extent of abuse,

Run into a Snag?

Sooner or later, that
- garment is going to devel-
op a snag, especially if
there’s a playful cat
around. Fortunately, there
are handy gadgets. avail-
able for pulling such snags
to the underside of the gar-

ment, out of sight.

YOU'LL SAVE

MON

EY BY GETTING

OFF OIL BECAUSE ©
THE PRICE OF OIL IS:

ESCALATING, AND -
WILL CONTINUE TO’

DO SO.

Heating with oil isa habit
Canadians acquired when oil
was plentiful and cheap. Today

sources of oil are unreliable and *

increasingly more expensive, so

we just have to kick the habit.
‘fhe habit won't be hard to -
break because Canada has an
abundance of energy alterna-
tives that are plentiful and are
ultimately cheaper than oil.’
‘The Canada Oil Substi
tion Program (COSP), is a’.

major part of the federal govern:

ment's National Energy «
Program. COSP is designed to
help reduce the use of oil -

for home heating in every pro-
vince to no more than 10 per.

cent of total household energy :
1990,

use by

that offers grants of up to
$800 coveririg half the cost of

equipment and labour for.

changing your space or hot
water heating. system from -

: This
free EnerSave aieeioamte

oy
COSP is a 10-year program A

ment. inquiry, th

of Holland America Cruises’ ==

the SS Rotterdam, a pane
ment for the Prinséndam on
the Alaska cruise run thls
season, =

He declined further ‘com.
ment on possible ‘causes ' of
the fire until after the Dutch
shipping ©. inspectorate’ has
completed its report, which is
not expected for several
months,

But Rhinesmith defended
the actions of the Dutch cap-
tain and officers aboard the
Prinsendam who some pass-.
engers have said. played
down the seriousness of the
blaze, which started in the
engine room, until it was too
late for them to get warm;

,Slothing from their cabins, «

Passengers, many of whom
were asleep in their cabins at
the time the fire broke cut,
were told initially that it was
not expected to cause a prob-
lem and were invited.to as-‘
semble in a forward rd lounge
for drinks “until after the
smoke had cleared.”

“There were many reports.”
that commended the captain *
for the procedures,” said‘
Rhinesmith. “It was the cor-
rect way to handle the situ-
ation in order to avoid panic.

* . “There mas no question of

oil to natural gas, electricity, +

propane or a renewable energy ..|.

source such as wood and solar,
The COSP grant is taxable. ,
; The oil substitution of z a

’ centrally heated building unit

that contains two or more sel
contained dwelling units can.

ne no tes cose grants ranging
HOW.TO APPLY FOR
YOUR GRANT

. Those of you who are ready
to get off oil, or have switched.
from oil since October 28, 1980,
ask for grant information from:
© your nearest gas or electric

utility. (At the request of.

the provincial government,”
conversions to aleetriclty ere.
not eligible for COSP grant
on Vancouver:Island or
areas of the provinte-wh

+ gas service is avail

‘Your gas utility can

‘an electric conversion is

open to you).

® the federal Deserta of

Energy, Mines and Resources
(EMR) Office, about conver-

sion to wood or solar heat or." |:
_ another renewable energy:."!\
bs source. EMR is located at

n gives you direct

* Energy) Mines end ».” Enercia, Maras et x

and information about CHIP

(ce) dub! liteboata ‘but: hundreds’, of
Cause ‘of the fire. which an “tebfuger ‘or hola ‘back of in- .., elderly’ paasengers sat sov-
rmatl ‘As “information. “eral ihoursy in: their night.

iE i]
i age,

Sun Bui ilding

100 West Pender Street...
‘Vancouver, British Columbia
‘V6B 1B6

'| Call: (604) 666-8654

PLAN:
BEST SAVINGS

To start planning your
move off oil, The federal Depart-

ment of] Energy, ‘Mines and
Resources can help you:
;@ assess your home's energy -

efficiency by means of a free
computerized:EnerSave

+. questionnaire;

insulate your home under the
Canadian Home Insulation “=

i Progam am (CHIP) pinch pro-
o :

Insulati areq
;ment of OSE but tt makes
|" sefise to have a well insulated *

: ee system oul ned when .

pit switch off oil,

for’ business -people ‘and -
ganizations. Any. of these
participating in the program -
can‘teceive grant money. uP
to20 per cent

of the Projett:

CHECK AND. COMPARE
THESE VALUES

ae i"

igi ae