World Elder Abuse Day is marked on June 15 every year to spread awareness regarding the abuse faced by senior citizens and bring an end to the suffering inflicted on them.

The U.N. defines elder abuse as "a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person."

World Elder Abuse Day was officially recognized by the U.N. Assembly in December 2011.

According to the U.N. estimates, the number of persons aged 60 years or over is projected to grow by 38 percent between 2019 and 2030. The estimates show that the elderly population will soon outnumber the youth growing from 1 billion to 1.4 billion.

Although the issue of elderly abuse exists in both developing and developed countries, it is typically underreported in many areas.

Here are some quotes that will inspire you to take care of the elderly people around you.

courtesy: Landmark Senior Living

  1. "If you shift your focus from yourself to others, extend your concern to others, and cultivate the thought of caring for the well-being of others, then this will have the immediate effect of opening up your life and helping you to reach out." ― Dalai Lama XIV
  2. "We can all make a difference in the lives of others in need because it is the most simple of gestures that make the most significant of differences,"-Miya Yamanouchi
  3. "Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."- Leo Buscaglia
  4. "Give yourself entirely to those around you. Be generous with your blessings. A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal." – Steve Maraboli
  5. "There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life — happiness, freedom, and peace of mind — are always attained by giving them to someone else."– Peyton Conway March
  6. "Caring for seniors is perhaps the greatest responsibility we have. Those who have walked before us have given so much and made possible the life we all enjoy."-Senator John Hoeven
  7. "The phrase "Love one another" is so wise. By loving one another, we invest in each other and ourselves. Perhaps someday, when we need someone to care for us, it may not come from the person we expect, but from the person we least expect. It may be our sons or daughters-in-law, our neighbors, friends, cousins, stepchildren, or stepparents whose love for us has assigned them to the honorable, yet the dangerous position of caregiver."- Peggi Speers

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