National Broadcast of Elder Abuse Film Announced for International Day of Older Persons

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Sep 28, 2010, 11:00 ET

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In recognition of the U.N.-sponsored International Day of Older Persons, Link TV will broadcast An Age for Justice: Confronting Elder Abuse in America on October 1 at 9:45 p.m. ET on DIRECTV, the DISH Network, and select cable networks, as well as at www.linktv.org/elderabuse. The film, funded in part by the Fledgling Fund, features stories of elder abuse recorded by video advocates across the U.S., and is part of the Elder Justice Now campaign, a joint effort of the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and WITNESS to raise awareness of the increasing prevalence of elder abuse in the United States.

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This is the second time Link TV has partnered with NCOA and WITNESS to help raise awareness about the silent issue of elder abuse.

"Elder abuse is a growing but underreported problem, and we are grateful for the ongoing commitment from Link TV to join with us to give voice to vulnerable older adults," said Jim Firman, president and CEO of NCOA. "We hope this national broadcast will inspire and empower local communities to join the fight against elder abuse."

According to the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), as many as two million Americans aged 65 or older may have suffered abuse of some sort. The NCEA defines abuse as any intentional or negligent act by a caregiver or any other person that causes harm or a serious risk of harm to a vulnerable adult including financial, physical, emotional, or sexual abuse.

Earlier this year, NCOA and WITNESS launched a national screening initiative to widely distribute the film and 11 individual video stories as a tool for raising awareness and facilitating community education and dialogue on elder abuse, found here at www.elderjusticenow.org/host-a-screening/. Link TV first supported this effort by broadcasting An Age for Justice on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15. A selection of the community screenings can be found here: http://elderjusticenow.org/host-a-screening/screenings-an-age-for-justice-confronting-elder-abuse-in-america/.

NCOA also encourages comments about elder justice policy ideas on its ideas exchange website: The Exchange: Putting Ideas to Work for Older Americans at www.AgingExchange.org.

About Link TV

Link TV is an independent non-commercial network devoted to global issues, available in 32 million U.S. homes receiving satellite television on DIRECTV channel 375 and DISH Network channel 9410. Select programs are shown on more than 170 local cable systems, on many college campus channels and streamed worldwide on the Internet. For more information, visit http://www.linktv.org.

About Witness

WITNESS (witness.org) is an international human rights organization that uses the power of video to open the eyes of the world to human rights abuses. By partnering with local organizations around the globe, WITNESS empowers human rights defenders to use video to transform personal stories of abuse into powerful tools of justice. WITNESS has partnered with groups in more than 70 countries, bringing often unseen images, untold stories and seldom heard voices to the attention of key decision makers, the media, and the general public – prompting grassroots activism, political engagement, and lasting change.

About the National Council on Aging

The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is a non-profit service and advocacy organization headquartered in Washington, DC. NCOA is a national voice for older Americans - especially those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged - and the community organizations that serve them. It brings together non-profit organizations, businesses and government to develop creative solutions that improve the lives of all older adults. NCOA works with thousands of organizations across the country to help seniors find jobs and benefits, improve their health, live independently and remain active in their communities. For more information, please visit www.ncoa.org.

SOURCE National Council on Aging