Maltreatment of seniors and other persons of full age in vulnerable situations

What is maltreatment?

“Maltreatment is when an attitude, word, act, or lack of appropriate action causes harm or distress to a senior or an adult in a vulnerable situation, whether intentionally or unintentionally, in a relationship where there is an expectation of trust. Maltreatment can come from a person, a community or an organization.”

What is the definition of a person in a vulnerable situation?

It means a person of full age whose ability to request or obtain assistance is temporarily or permanently limited due to constraint, disease, injury, or disability, which may be physical, cognitive or psychological in nature, such as a physical or intellectual disability or an autism spectrum disorder.

Forms of maltreatment

Violence: To bully a person or use force and/or intimidation to make them act against their will.
Neglect: Failure to show concern for a person, by not taking the adequate actions to meet their needs, for example.
Intentional maltreatment: The mistreating person wants to cause harm or knows that they are causing harm.
Unintentional maltreatment: The mistreating person does not want to cause harm or does not understand that they are causing harm.

Note: It is important to assess the signs and situations to avoid drawing hasty conclusions or labelling people.

For more information on maltreatment, including information on the seven types of maltreatment, visit this website /typo3conf/l10n/fr/rtehtmlarea/Resources/Private/Language/fr.locallang_accessibilityicons.xlf:external_link_new_window_altText quebec.ca.

Whom to contact?

Sûreté du Québec

In an emergency, call 911.

Mistreatment Helpline (Aide Maltraitance Adultes Aînés)

The Mistreatment Helpline at 1 888 489-ABUS (2287) is an assistance, information and reference service for population, their families, professionals and partners.

Commissariat aux plaintes et à la qualité des services

To report a situation of maltreatment of a senior or a person of full age in a vulnerable situation, Ouvre un lien interne dans une nouvelle fenêtre click here.