A new audio drama airing on Radio Sidney tells a story of elder financial abuse. Beware Mysterious Mark is a 10 part series airing Thursdays through July. Producer Bill Collins spoke with People First Radio about the play, and the issue it seeks to bring awareness to.
“It is a traditional kind of radio play. With each episode, there are certain themes that are addressed, and we’ve chosen the dialogue to reflect those themes, everything from loneliness to powers of attorney, to things the medical profession can do with respect to capacity as people age,” said Collins.
He says the story came about after a connection in the community shared an account of elder financial abuse experienced on southern Vancouver Island.
“ I realized…the depth of the story, the passion, the challenges involved in the story, and I thought, ‘Wow, this would be an amazing story to bring to air.'”
Collins says the team behind Beware Mysterious Mark received funding support from New Horizons for Seniors Canada to help bring the story to air. Each episode is followed by an interview with a subject matter expert about the themes covered by the narrative.
Collins says he hopes the show creates conversations about elder financial abuse and brings attention to the issue.
“Awareness is your first line of defence.”
You can listen to the show and find resources related to elder financial abuse at mark.radiosidney.ca.
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