The Seniors Division within Assisted Living and Social Services (ALSS) focuses on preventing and addressing elder abuse and is seeking a proponent to conduct a review of A Collective Approach: Alberta's Strategy for Preventing and Addressing Elder Abuse (2022-27) to help determine future direction for elder abuse prevention and response in Alberta.
The previous strategy, Addressing Elder Abuse in Alberta: A Strategy for Collective Action (2010), established how the Government of Alberta would work with partners to prevent and address elder abuse and support those affected. Building on this work, the current strategy was developed through engagement with key civil society partners, the public, and government ministries.
A review is therefore needed to inform Alberta's approach beyond 2027. The purpose of the review is not primarily to evaluate the performance of the current strategy, as a separate evaluation is being conducted. Rather, the review will identify future priorities, funding considerations, partnership opportunities, and strategic options to inform decisions regarding strategy renewal, redevelopment, or alignment within a broader seniors policy framework.
Key questions include:
What findings from the Evaluation, Prevalence Studies, stakeholder engagement, and funding model assessment should inform future priorities and directions for Alberta's approach to preventing and addressing elder abuse?
Are government and ministry priorities still reflected in the strategy?
Have new issues or trends emerged, including findings from the Elder Abuse Prevalence Study, that should inform future strategy direction?
The review will synthesize available evidence, stakeholder perspectives, funding considerations, and emerging trends to identify future priorities and inform recommendations.
Project Background
In July 2022, the Seniors Division of the former Ministry of Seniors and Housing released A Collective Approach: Alberta's Strategy for Preventing and Addressing Elder Abuse (2022-2027), a five-year strategy to guide how Albertans, non-profit organizations, frontline workers, businesses, and governments can work together to prevent and reduce elder abuse.
The strategy outlines five goals:
Improved awareness.
Skilled service providers.
Coordinated community responses.
Protective laws and policies.
Data, information sharing, research, and evaluation.
The strategy also provides an updated definition of elder abuse as any intentional or reckless act, or willful and negligent disregard, occurring within a relationship of family, trust, or dependency, directed at someone aged 65 or older that causes physical, emotional, or psychological harm; involves the misappropriation or misuse of money, possessions, or property; subjects an individual to non-consensual sexual contact, activity, or behaviour; or fails to provide the necessities of life.
The Province is undertaking several complementary activities related to elder abuse prevention:
1. Elder Abuse Prevalence Studies
2023-24 Elder Abuse Prevalence Study
2026-27 Elder Abuse Prevalence Study
These studies examine the prevalence and characteristics of elder abuse among Albertans aged 65 and older. Relevant findings and products will be provided to the successful proponent as available.
2. Elder Abuse Strategy Evaluation
Mid-term Evaluation Report (July 2022-October 2024).
Final Evaluation.
The final evaluation assesses implementation and performance of the strategy from 2022-2027, including strategy inputs, activities, outputs, and measurable outcomes, with particular focus on initiatives delivered through strategy-funded grants and partnerships. It examines effectiveness, alignment with Government of Alberta priorities and stakeholder needs, and implementation and resource utilization.
The evaluation reports and findings will be made available to the successful proponent. These materials are intended to inform the review and should be leveraged as evidence sources; the successful proponent is not expected to replicate the evaluation.
Project Objectives
The Department is seeking a contractor to conduct an elder abuse strategy review that will:
Conduct targeted stakeholder engagement and provide findings and a needs assessment
Engage internal and external stakeholders through targeted engagement sessions.
Identify stakeholder needs, expectations, concerns, and gaps.
Stakeholders may include community-based senior-serving organizations and partners, other levels of government, frontline workers, businesses, health and legal sectors, and subject matter experts.
Assess current funding approaches
Conduct a funding model and sustainability assessment of current elder abuse grant funding.
Consider effectiveness, strategic alignment, future funding approaches, system impacts, and value generated through provincial investment.
Incorporate and analyze findings
Examine and incorporate available prevalence study findings, evaluation findings, and other relevant documents and studies.
Identify strategy successes, challenges, gaps, lessons learned, opportunities, and future direction options.
Submit findings in a final report.
Develop options and recommendations
Develop evidence-informed options and recommendations to support future decision-making.
Assess options for strategy renewal, refresh, redesign, integration within a broader seniors strategy or framework, or other approaches identified through the review.
Identify advantages, risks, opportunities, implementation considerations, and resource implications associated with each option.
Recommend a path forward, including future priorities and implementation considerations.
Given the sensitive nature of elder abuse, the review must apply a trauma-informed lens and demonstrate an understanding of elder abuse and issues affecting older adults. The proponent must also be familiar with the mandate and priorities of ALSS and the Government of Alberta and consider alignment with related provincial initiatives, including Alberta's 10-year strategy to end gender-based violence.
The review will help inform Alberta's future approach to preventing and addressing elder abuse and determine whether a strategy refresh should be undertaken or whether elder abuse should be incorporated into a broader seniors strategy. Department staff will engage with the contractor; however, the contractor will be responsible for executing the project.
Refer to Section 2. Project Information
