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This post includes a summary of resources as well as educational and case consultation opportunities relevant to the elder justice field. If you are aware of additional resources or have comments about any of the resources listed below, please use the response box at the end of the post to share your thoughts. We look forward to hearing from you!

Continuing Education

The 8th Annual NYC Elder Abuse Conference will take place on Wednesday, June 5, 2013! This year’s conference features and exciting array of educational speakers and workshops. The keynote presentation will be given by Dr. Jason Karlawish, who will present on the topic, “Making Sense of Capacity Assessments.” Click here to download the complete conference brochure. Registration is required for this event.

Stay Informed

On May 13, 2013, the Elder Justice Coordinating Council (EJCC) met in Washington, D.C. During this meeting, the Elder Justice Interagency Working Group (EJWG), which is composed of the staff of the members of the EJCC, presented a set of nine proposals for federal action to address elder abuse, neglect and exploitation. The complete presentation of the nine proposals can be downloaded by clicking here. A condensed version of the nine proposals can be downloaded by clicking here. To learn more about the EJCC and its work, click here to visit the Administration on Aging‘s Elder Justice Coordinating Council webpage.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has published the testimony given by Kay Brown, Director of Education, Workforce and Income Security at the GAO, to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade of the US House of Representatives during a hearing on “Fraud on the Elderly: A Growing Concern for a Growing Population,” on May 16, 2013. Based primarily on findings recorded in the November 2012 GAO report, “Elder Justice: National Strategy Needed to Effectively Combat Elder Financial Exploitation”, Ms. Brown’s testimony outlines the several ways the federal government is, or could be, supporting state and local efforts to combat financial exploitation. Click here to view a summary of the testimony, and click here to download the complete testimony.

WAMU 88.5, an NPR station in Washington, D.C., produced and aired a five-part radio series on elder abuse in early May. Exploring the issue from the the perspectives of family members, care givers, and a variety of professionals, the series depicts the devastating impact of elder abuse on individuals and society and the many challenges faced by the elder justice field. Click here to listen to the series.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is June 15th! The National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) is curating a map of events happening around the country in celebration of this date. Click here to find or submit events near you.

Resources and Tools

In 2010, the Elder Justice Now campaign, a partnership between the National Council on Aging and WITNESS, produced and released a moving documentary on elder abuse titled, “An Age for Justice: Elder Abuse in America.” They have now released a Screening Guide for the film. This guide provides recommendations for organizing and hosting screenings of the film and includes information on elder abuse and discussion guides. To download the Screening Guide, click here.

FairPoint Communications, in partnership with law enforcement and aging organizations, has created a website to alert and inform the public about phone scams originating from the 876 area code in Jamaica. These phone scams, which were the subject of a March 13, 2013 hearing in the US Senate Special Committee on Aging, have heavily targeted seniors in New England, but the tips provided are applicable to older adults everywhere. To visit the site, click here.

Join the Field

The Alliance for Aging Research is seeking applicants for the position of Assistant Development Director. The Assistant Development Director will be responsible for working with senior leadership to expand the organization’s fundraising and development activities and mobilizing staff to achieve the organization’s development goals. Applicants should be individuals dedicated to the Alliance’s mission who have a Bachelor’s degree, 5-7 years of fundraising experience, excellent communication and organization skills, and can demonstrate success working in a collaborative environment. To view the complete job description, including application instructions, please click here.

The Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry is seeking applicants for the position of psychiatric counselor. Responsibilities for this fee-for-service position include assisting in the performance of NIMH-funded research studies of depression treatment by providing research-related case management services and psychotherapy to underserved elderly in New York City. Applicants should have a masters-level degree in social work or mental health counseling and current licensure in the State of New York as a Social Worker or Mental Health Counselor. It is preferred that applicants also have prior related experience in research and/or geriatrics. To download the complete job description, including application instructions, please click here.

 Related Stories

1. Resources for Elder Justice Professionals – April 2013
2. Resources for Elder Justice Professionals – March 2013
3. Resources for Elder Justice Professionals – February 2013

The post Resources for Elder Justice Professionals appeared first on NYCEAC.

Photo courtesy of Tommie M.

We Are Family: When Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Financial Exploitation Hit Home is a poignant case study with significant pedagogic value published in the Fall 2012 issue of the American Society on Aging’s quarterly journal, Generations, and on their AgeBlog. We are summarizing this case on our blog because we think it is that important. The story, compellingly and clearly told, illustrates the complexity of elder abuse cases and highlights the critical need for a coordinated response.

We thank Jeannie Jennings Beidler, the author of the blog, for her heroic efforts on behalf of her grandparents and for courageously sharing the details of this personal family story so that we all can learn from it and thus protect other elders from experiencing a similar fate.

Jeannie Jennings Beidler advocated relentlessly for an intervention to stop the elder abuse that was happening to her grandparents. She begins the blog by reminding us that older adults are most commonly at risk of being abused by a family member. This heartbreaking reality is exemplified in her story that starts with her learning that her grandparents were being financially exploited and neglected by her unemployed, alcoholic uncle living with her grandparents. Ms. Beidler made several attempts to bring attention to her grandparents’ poor living conditions and was able to get them hospitalized, only to see them released again into a hostile, unsanitary environment.

Following months of advocating for an intervention and numerous attempts to navigate the many complex systems involved with her grandparents’ case, an intervention happened and her grandparents eventually found residence in a nursing home.

Ms. Beidler says, “My grandfather passed away four months after the intervention and my grandmother joined him eleven months later. Though a tragic story, I find great peace in knowing that they were well cared for and happy during their final months of life. This was my life’s most challenging and demanding period, but it was also the most meaningful. I will forever cherish my memories of my grandparents.”

Robin Roberts, the NYC Elder Abuse Center’s Multidisciplinary Team Coordinator, views this case as an example of how victimized older adults can fall through the cracks of a fragmented response system reacting to abuse in an unsystematic fashion without accountability. A systematic approach, such as that offered by multidisciplinary teams (MDTs), would have increased the likelihood of agency collaboration and accountability and brought about a swifter intervention for Ms. Beidler’s grandparents.

During MDT meetings, all of the systems, organizations and professionals needing to be involved in a case work together over time to develop and implement a comprehensive plan for elder abuse victims and their families. In addition to helping victims, the process of working together creates accountability and helps foster trust among agencies.

The NYC Elder Abuse Center addresses cases like those of Ms. Beidler’s grandparents through MDTs and case consultation services.  We would love to hear how other communities are furthering this work. How can we improve our elder justice system to guarantee the safety of those most vulnerable to abuse and ensure justice for its victims? Please post your responses here! We look forward to hearing from you.

Click here to visit Jeannie Jennings Beidler’s online journal and learn more about this case. 

by Alexandra Pearson, Communication Specialist, NYCEAC

The post A Profound Elder Abuse Case Study from the American Society on Aging appeared first on NYCEAC.

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This blog features a round up of elder justice related news items released in April 2013.

NATIONAL NEWS

Proposed Legislation Targets Financial Exploitation: The U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging is focusing on fast growing financial exploitation scams that target older Americans, with the goal of bolstering enforcement and providing increased relief to victims of fraud. According to the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service, tax-related identity theft has risen over 650% since 2008.

• The U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging’s “Tax-Related Identity Theft: An Epidemic Facing Seniors and Taxpayers” is available to watch online here.

Report Finds Money Management Companies Misleading: The Government Office of Accountability (GOA) released a report this month, citing that money management firms have been offering misleading advice on how to handle retirement savings. By encouraging workers who are transitioning to new jobs to move their retirement savings into individual retirement accounts, or IRAs, rather than a 401K, these firms are able to continuously harvest large fees from the participating worker’s retirement fund.

• The full GOA report hearing from the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging is available to read online here.

Facebook Is Facing Challenges Over Elder Abuse Posts: An advocacy group out of Canada, Canada’s International Federation on Ageing, is petitioning Facebook to block hate speech against older adults, following a study from Yale University that found seniors were being victimized by ageism on the social networking website. While Facebook claims to be highly self-regulating, many researchers and aging advocates are calling for the company to do more to protect its older users.

Country Star Charged with Elder Abuse: Grammy-nominated Country singer Billy Currington was charged with elder abuse after verbally accosting an older adult. The Associated Press reports that Currington was on an island off the coast of his hometown in Georgia when he began berating the a 70 year old man and his guests, then hopped into his own boat and chased them while making violent threats. The country star turned himself in following the release of a warrant for his arrest.

Link Found Between Elder Abuse & Hospitalization: A new study has confirmed that older adults who have been psychologically abused, financially exploited, neglected are significantly more likely to be hospitalized those without a history of elder abuse. Lead by Dr. XinQi Dong at Rush University Medical Center and Dr. Melissa Simon at Northwestern University Medical Center, the study examined elder abuse reports from social service agencies from 1993 to 2010.

STATE AND LOCAL NEWS (NEW YORK STATE & CITY)

Lifespan Received Increased Funding to Address Elder Abuse from the Rochester YNN: A recently passed New York state budget has restored $245,000 for the Office for the Aging’s existing contracts in addition to an increase of $500,000 for additional services. Contracts covering intervention, professional training, and education on elder abuse warning signs will be administered by Lifespan of Rochester.

Local Center Files Elder Abuse Report: The Tarrytown Hall Care Center filed a report with the Department of Health regarding the verbal and physical abuse of an older resident by a nursing aid. Local authorities noted the incident in their records.

Rochester Woman Charged with Financial Exploitation: Multiple felony charges were filed against a woman in Rochester for spending over $17,000 of a 76-year-old woman with dementia. A local social worker notified the authorities of the suspicious transactions.

ELDER ABUSE IN THE MEDIA

Recent Reports of Elder Abuse Overlook Epidemic from the NYCEAC Elder Justice Dispatch Blog: In this blog post, our Social Media Manager, Cara Kenien describes how reporting practices on elder abuse stories all too often treat the issues as an isolated incident. Through three key examples, Cara highlights how media coverage needs to better address the elder abuse epidemic and recognize the elder justice movement.

How to Protect Your Elderly Parents From Being Scammed from the US News and World Report: This piece from the Personal Finance section offers information about what makes older adults vulnerable to financial exploitation and preventative measures to better protect parents and older family members from this type of abuse.

Senior ‘Specialists’ Often Swindlers from Forbes: Contributing writer John Wasik details how seemingly expert titles in the financial industry, like “senior specialist” and “retirement planning specialist,” can be misleading to consumers. Reiterating the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s recent report on such titles, Wasik warns of this specialized form of financial abuse against older adults.

NYCEAC IN THE NEWS

Therapy for the Elderly: Finally Getting a Load Off Their Minds from The New York Times: Beginning with an overview of the prevalence of depression among adults 65 years and older, this piece looks at the benefits of therapy for older adults. Featuring quotes from  Robert C. Abrams and Karl Pillemer, NYCEAC partners from Weill Cornell Medical School, this article highlights treatment practices and growing research on this subject.

Related Stories

A Round-Up of Elder Justice News – March 2013

A Round-Up of Elder Justice News – February 2013

by Alexandra Pearson, Communications Specialist, NYCEAC

The post A Round-Up of Elder Justice News – April 2013 appeared first on NYCEAC.

News reports about individual elder abuse cases miss the proverbial forest for the trees when these stories are not framed within the context of a national elder abuse epidemic. This blog features three examples of elder abuse stories recently printed in elite newspapers, identifies the types of elder abuse present in each one and explores why it is important for the media to discuss elder abuse cases within the context of an elder abuse epidemic.

Margaret E. Smith – Photo credit Nicole Bengiveno, New York Times

One story featured in The Wall Street Journal entitled, Astor’s Son Loses Appeal in Fraud Case, reports on renowned philanthropist Brooke Astor’s son, who financially exploited and neglected her, losing his recent fraud conviction appeal. The second piece, a story from The New York Times entitled, Payment for Act of Kindness: 2 Days in Car Trunk at Age 89, features the horrific account of Margaret E. Smith, described as “the backbone dot in the center of Delaware,” being kidnapped, physically abused and robbed by two teenagers. A third case, reported on in the Chicago Tribune, entitled Nursing Assistant Charged with Taking $350K from Client’s Estate, illustrates a case of a longtime nursing assistant who befriended 90-year-old retired city engineer, Marshall Davies, offered to be his “round-the-clock caregiver” and then financially exploited him.

Marshall Davies – Photo credit Nancy Stone, Chicago Tribune

Co-occurring forms of elder abuse are present in the cases described above: financial exploitation, neglect and physical, psychological and emotional abuse. In Ms. Astor and Mr. Davies cases, a dynamic played out that is common in elder abuse cases: a family member or friend takes advantage of the trust expectation that underpins the relationship with an older adult to improperly access the older adult’s resources for their own benefit. Financial exploitation involves the unauthorized or improper use of funds, property, or assets.

Brooke Astor – Photo credit Hulton Archive/Getty

This can include coercing the change of a will, bank account, or property transfer, using cash or credit cards without permission or knowledge, and/or forging signatures on checks. Often when financial exploitation occurs, psychological and emotional abuse and neglect also take place, subjecting an older adult to behavior that results in fear, mental anguish or emotional pain. Similarly, it is clear that Ms. Smith suffered from psychological and emotional abuse while being robbed, physically abused and confined to the trunk of her car for two days.

For every one case of self-reported elder abuse in the New York State Elder Abuse Prevalence Study, 24 cases went unreported.

Ms. Astor, Mr. Davies and Ms. Smith are not alone in experiencing elder abuse. Research suggests that one in ten older adults are victims of abuse. A 2010 New York State Prevalence Study found that a staggering numbers of older New Yorkers – 260,000 each year – confront abuse, neglect and exploitation. With 1 in 24 older New Yorkers not being known to any system, it is clear that many elder abuse victims suffer in silence. (For more information, see New York State Elder Abuse Prevalence Study.)

Responsible journalism reporting on an epidemic would include information about demographic trends and prevalence data; known risk factors and resources; the need for funding for public awareness, research, prevention and response; and the work of advocates.

The public deserves reporting that tells the full story, moving beyond coverage of an elder abuse situation as a stand alone story. Individual stories should be used to underscore that elder abuse is an epidemic causing widespread suffering. Dots should be connected from each story to the need for effective education, research, services, policy and advocacy at the local, state and national levels. Two not-so-recent opinion pieces found online – one in the Star Tribune in 2011 and one in the Washington Post  in 2008 – are examples of this type of coverage.

With the blog, the NYC Elder Abuse Center aims to start a conversation to address inadequate coverage of elder abuse in the media. What do you think? Please leave a comment below. And if you are aware of an elder abuse news story representing responsible journalism as defined in this blog, please share the link. Thanks!

by Cara Kenien, LMSW, MPA, Social Media Manager, NYCEAC

The post Recent News Reports of Elder Abuse Overlook Epidemic appeared first on NYCEAC.

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This post includes a summary of resources as well as educational and case consultation opportunities relevant to the elder justice field. If you are aware of additional resources or have comments about any of the resources listed below, please use the response box at the end of the post to share your thoughts. We look forward to hearing from you!

Continuing Education

The Center for Excellence on Elder Abuse and Neglect (CEEAN) and the Academy for Professional Excellence at San Diego State University have developed a 2-hour self-paced e-learning course titled, “Responding to Physical Elder Abuse and Neglect.” Bringing together forensic research, geriatric medical information tailored to elder physical abuse investigators and practical field skills, the course is designed to teach participants how to recognize and respond to elder physical abuse. To learn more about the course, including how to register, please click here to download the course flyer.

The Eighth Annual New York City Elder Abuse Conference will take place on Wednesday, June 5, 2013 at The New School. This year’s conference will be full of exciting and educational presentations and workshops. The day-long conference will get kicked off with a keynote presentation from Dr. Jason Karlawish, who is a Professor of Medicine, Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For more information, click here to download the event’s flyer and check out our Events Calendar for up-to-date information by clicking here.

Stay Informed

The Center for Demography of Health and Aging at the University of Wisconsin, Madison collects and distributes aging related news and research via the “Current Awareness in Aging Report” (CAAR). CAAR is published in two components: a daily E-Clippings email that provides subscribers with important news stories related to aging and the CAAR Blog, which highlights a variety of aging-related resources on the web. Click here to visit the Center’s website and learn more about CAAR.

The United States Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing on the topic of “Tax-Related Identity Theft: An Epidemic Facing Seniors and Taxpayers” on April 10, 2013. It is estimated that over $5 billion are lost each year to identity theft-related tax. Seniors are the most frequent targets of these frauds along with individuals with incomes below the filing threshold, students ages 16-22 and the deceased. To view the complete video of the hearing or read the testimonies, click here.

Resources and Tools

The National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) has released their 2013 “Report to the Field.” Full of links to documents, articles and more, the report is a resource for the elder justice field. Click here to download the report.

April 21-27, 2013 is National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. This year’s theme, “New Challenges. New Solutions.” reflects the commitment and creativity of victim advocates working in increasingly complex environments. A detailed resource guide for the week is available through a joint effort of the Office of Victims of Crimes, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, and the National Center for Victims of Crime. In addition to resources and information about victims of crime, the guide provides recommendations for planning events to commemorate this annual event. Click here to download the guide.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is pleased to announce that it is seeking applications for research and evaluation relating to abuse, neglect, and exploitation of elderly individuals and residents of residential care facilities. This research furthers the Department’s mission by sponsoring research to provide objective, independent, evidence-based knowledge and tools to meet the challenges of crime and justice, particularly at the State and local levels. Applications for funding are due by 11:59pm EST on May 20, 2013. For additional information about this funding opportunity, click here to download the complete request for funding.

Join the Field

JASA/Adult Protective Services (APS) is seeking applicants for the position of Brooklyn APS Director. In addition to managing professional and clerical staff, the Director is responsible for ensuring that eligibility for APS services is continuously verified, service plans are kept up-to-date, monitoring casework, maintaining relationships with other city agencies, supervising the implementation of emergency plans for clients and more. For a complete job description and information about applying, click here to download the job description.

Jewish Home Lifecare is seeking a social work intern to assist with an exciting grant project related to elder abuse and telehealth. They will be using health care technology in various locations to monitor the health and health behaviors of seniors. The intern will assist in the design and implementation of the portions of the telehealth questionnaire related to elder abuse and will also evaluate the need for intervention when in cases of possible abuse. For further information on this internship opportunity, please click here.

The post Resources for Elder Justice Professionals appeared first on NYCEAC.

The NYC Elder Abuse Center (NYCEAC) welcomes Dr. Veronica LoFaso, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College and New York-Presbyterian Hospital within the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine. Dr. LoFaso provides geriatric medicine consultations to NYCEAC’s multidisciplinary teams, serving to help the teams evaluate and respond to the myriad medical issues that are presented to them. In addition, she has developed and conducted numerous elder abuse trainings for a variety of institutions throughout the greater New York City area and beyond.

Here Dr. LoFaso defines and provides an overview of the term polyvictimization. She highlights research done on this topic and discusses its prevalence and impact on health outcomes.

Photo Courtesy of Compfight.com

In 1997 I made my first housecall as the new medical director of the home visit program in the Division of Geriatrics at Weill Cornell Medical College. I directed that program for 13 years and over the course of those years became all too familiar with the world of elder abuse. Recently, I have had the opportunity to focus more on this important topic as a member of NYCEAC’s Brooklyn Multidisciplinary Team. As case after case is presented to the team at our weekly conferences it is clear to me that many of the unfortunate victims we discuss and help have lived a lifetime of traumas. As their stories unfold I see that the event that led to our involvement was only one of many over years of abuse.

When I look back on my earlier housecall experiences I certainly recognized individuals who had been subjected to repeated acts of victimization since childhood including domestic violence, bullying, financial abuse, sexual assault, and other stressful personal insults. Unfortunately I, like many of my medical colleagues, approached these individuals in a piecemeal fashion, addressing each form of abuse as it occurred but failing to link the pieces together into a mosaic of a lifetime of repeated traumas.

The Incidence of Polyvictimization

Many mechanisms have been postulated to explain why some individuals become polyvictims. Finkelhor, who has done the seminal work in this area and coined the term “polyvictimization,” suggested that victimization creates vulnerability for more victimization through mechanisms of lowered self-esteem, learned helplessness and distorted cognition. Mainly focusing on child victims, his work uncovered striking statistics showing half of young adults ages 2-17 experience two or more kinds of victimization with a mean of 3.7 in a lifetime. His analysis of the outcome of repeated, different intersecting forms of victimization suggests that the victims’ experience of trauma may be more related to the accumulation or combination of victimizations rather than any one individual victimization. What characterizes these individuals with the condition of polyvictimization is not completely understood. It appears that in addition to polyvictimizations, these individuals had more concurrent other life adversities like single or stepparent families, family substance abuse, etc. They also experienced more severe symptoms than those who were victims of repeated assaults of the only one type.

What is clear from Finkelhor’s work with children and adolescents is that polyvictimization is prevalent; victimization carries a high burden of psychological stress and puts these young victims at high risk for further victimization throughout their life.

Polyvictimization and Health Outcomes

As I became more interested in this construct I found an impressive study conducted by Felitti and Anda that builds on Finkelhor’s work and explores the relationship of multiple adverse childhood events (ACE) to a host of health outcomes in adults. The researchers began to correlate these exposures to poor health outcomes and found staggering results with linear increases in the number of ACE’s to both psychological outcomes (depression, alcoholism, smoking, drug use, suicidality, perpetrating domestic abuse, revictimization) and medical outcomes (increases in lung disease, liver disease, and heart disease).

A Call to Action

The frequency with which polyvictimization occurs and the significant deleterious health outcomes that result is a call to action for the field of elder abuse. Understanding that these insults may be considered a type of post-traumatic stress disorder and finding new and effective ways of intervening to help victims is critical. We clearly need more research to determine the best therapies and social programs for victims and their families.

Dr. LoFaso is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and New York-Presbyterian Hospital within the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine. She provides geriatric medicine consultations to NYCEAC’s multidisciplinary teams, serving to help the teams evaluate and respond to the myriad medical issues that are presented to them. In addition, she has developed and conducted numerous elder abuse trainings for a variety of institutions throughout the greater New York City area and beyond.

The post A Physician’s Journey into Elder Justice appeared first on NYCEAC.

Elder abuse is an exploding problem with significant consequences for older adults and the public. Yet there is no coherent policy or government leadership for elder abuse prevention, intervention and policy in NYC. The handful of NYC city-funded elder abuse programs are underfunded in relation to the need, and each year these programs are threatened with elimination. If we break down NYC’s elder abuse funding allocation by the number of victims that we know reside in NYC (based on statistics from the New York State Elder Abuse Prevalence Study), we find that NYC allocates $9.50 per elder abuse victim. This is simply not enough funding to appropriately respond to elder abuse cases.

A small amount of New York State victim compensation dollars is spent on elder abuse programs, but these programs are few and scattered across the state. There is no statewide office to combat elder abuse, as there is to combat domestic violence. There should be a division within the State Office for the Aging that advocates for funding, better coordination of statewide services and systems, or an evaluation of departmental policies and guidelines that affect the field.

Elder abuse policy and legislative development remain virtually ignored and woefully underfunded. The time for reform is now! The lesson of the domestic violence movement is that existing elder abuse programs must work in collaborations with a broad coalition of stakeholders to achieve meaningful policy initiatives.

Advocacy in Action: Council for Senior Centers and Services (CSCS)

Council of Senior Centers and Services (CSCS), a NYC Elder Abuse Center (NYCEAC) partner, uniquely combines partnering with elder abuse service providers with their advocacy and direct service. CSCS’s new elder abuse initiative aims to mobilize partnerships and advocacy efforts to propel NYC’s elder justice field forward.

The wide range of services provided by CSCS, including their recent work on elder abuse issues, makes them a key part of the aging network in NYC. This NYC based membership organization represents senior services and aging issues and advocates for needed community based services that allow older adults to age with dignity. CSCS works on a wide range of issues that affect older adults including economic justice, hunger and supportive housing, healthy aging and community engagement. CSCS is comprised of over 100 member organizations which operate over 600 programs serving 300,000 older New Yorkers. CSCS members include multi-service senior centers, meals-on-wheels, case management, home care, transportation, adult day services, housing, mental health and a broad array of community-based services. Its membership also includes community-based service providers that have contracts with the Department for the Aging (DFTA) to provide services to elder abuse victims.

Bobbie Sackman

Bola Aribidesi

Bobbie Sackman, CSCS’ Director of Public Policy and NYCEAC Steering Committee Member, began working with the elder abuse and aging networks to advocate for restoration of and increased appropriations to the funding when the funding stream through which DFTA funded elder abuse programs was originally cut roughly four to five years ago. Since then, CSCS has maintained a strong track record with developing policy and programmatic initiatives related to elder abuse. In 2010, CSCS partnered with the National Council on Aging and the Witness Program to produce an educational video entitled, An Age for Justice: Confronting Elder Abuse in America. Based on the success of the video, CSCS collected stories from elder abuse victims for the “Making It Real Campaign:  The Human Face of the Budget Cuts” (2011). In recognition of the June 15th World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, CSCS, through its membership with the New York City Elder Abuse Network, convened a press conference at City Hall and launched “There is No Excuse for Elder Abuse,” a social media campaign that led elected officials and their staff to use Twitter and Facebook to send messages about elder abuse awareness to their followers. CSCS took a leadership role in coordinating efforts with NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Aging Committee Chair, Councilmember Jessica Lappin and local elder justice professionals to create and publish a brochure titled “Elder Abuse:  How to Recognize It and Get Help,” which educates constituents about the issues of elder abuse.

Last year, CSCS was awarded a grant by the Florence V. Burden Foundation to further its work in elder justice. This allowed CSCS to bring Bola Aribidesi, the Public Policy Associate, on board to identify systemic changes that will improve service delivery to victims/survivors of elder abuse.

The CSCS Elder Abuse Initiative

CSCS approaches advocacy by first consulting with front line providers to establish an in-depth knowledge base about the challenges they face. To understand elder abuse issues, CSCS conducted a needs assessment by asking its members about the key challenges and issues they were facing when detecting and/or responding to cases of elder abuse. They also spoke with other professionals who work for Adult Protective Services and in law enforcement about the need to increase awareness of elder abuse. This process fostered an important dialogue among Bobbie, Bola and the direct practitioners in the community. As a result, Bobbie and Bola learned about the complexities surrounding cases and built partnerships with professionals doing the work on the front lines, which allows them to leverage their advocacy expertise and move elder justice advocacy efforts forward. Out of the needs assessment came four specific areas on which they have been focusing their elder justice work. These four areas became the basis of the CSCS Elder Abuse Initiative, funded by the New York Women’s Foundation.

CSCS’ Elder Abuse Initiative

1. Build relationships with elder abuse providers to form a concrete understanding of the issues and help develop a uniform message about the need for legislative changes.

2. Bring the voice of elder abuse survivors to the forefront. It is crucial to include the voice of elders themselves who have suffered from elder abuse. There is a candlelight vigil that will take place on April 21st as part of 2013 National Crime Victims Rights week and elder abuse is central to the agenda for the first time. Bola and Bobbie are actively looking for potential elder abuse survivors or family members who would be willing to speak during the event. If you know someone, contact Bola at baribidesi@cscs-ny.org or 212-398-6565, ext. 233.

3. Participate actively on committees and coalitions focused on elder abuse and domestic violence. Bobbie and Bola are building collaborations and leveraging their advocacy expertise to bring about systemic change. One specific example includes their work on committees exploring options for state legislation to create a more seamless process for banks reporting and disclosing information regarding suspected financial elder abuse.

4. Partner with the New York Police Department (NYPD) to provide elder abuse training for officers and improve the NYPD’s reporting of elder abuse. The needs assessment showed the need for more training in this area, CSCS will work in collaboration with others to facilitate and bridge this gap.

Bola and Bobbie are passionate about bringing their advocacy expertise to the elder justice field. They are committed to continuing the partnerships they’ve built and helping to move the elder justice movement forward. Bobbie highlighted that they could not continue this work without partnering with professionals who are working directly with elder abuse victims. Bobbie has said, “We cannot do this alone – in fact, the core of our work, as you see, is to work closely with the experts.”

For more information about CSCS’s work, visit their website at http://cscs-ny.org/.

by Cara Kenien, LMSW, MPA, Social Media Manager & Risa Breckman, LCSW, Executive Director, NYCEAC & contributing authors, Bobbie Sackman, MSW, Director of Public Policy & Bola Aribidesi, MSW, Public Policy Associate, CSCS.

The post New Elder Justice Initiative in NYC Launched by Council of Senior Centers & Services appeared first on NYCEAC.

Photo Courtesy of RambergMediaImages

NATIONAL NEWS

Combating Phone Scam Fraud Against Older Americans: The U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing to investigate a Jamaican Lottery scam that targeted  older adults over the phone nationwide. Aging Committee Chairman Bill Nelson (D-FL) said, “We’ve got to find a way to stop these swindlers from robbing and threatening our most valuable seniors.” The hearing’s panel included the daughters of two victims, the President of AARP, and officials from the Maine Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, The Department of Homeland Security, and The Western Union Company.

• The U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging has since called for the Department of Justice to do more to extradite and charge these scam-artists.

Elder Abuse Highlighted in National Consumer Protection Week: Under the leadership of Skip Humphrey, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau put elder financial abuse in the spotlight during the CFPB’s National Consumer Week, promoting their digital resources for older Americans. Humphrey’s CFPB blog on elder financial abuse included an overview of his testimony from the inaugural meeting of the Elder Justice Coordinating Council and the Government Accountability Office Report on Combating Elder Abuse.

• The CFPB is asking citizens to share their experience with elder financial abuse and confusing information as well as elder abuse prevention tips here.

Lessons from the Aging in America Conference: The American Society on Aging held their annual conference this month in Chicago, IL, which featured nearly 20 sessions on elder abuse and elder justice. Speakers included Under Secretary for Aging, Kathy Greenlee, the AARP Policy Institute’s Debra Whitman, Bob Blancato, Director of the Elder Justice Coalition, Skip Humphrey of the CFPB, and others. Mayor Rahm Emanuel received the Leadership and Public Policy Award for his service in Congress, where he sponsored the Elder Justice Act.

• You may read a complete list of elder justice sessions here.

Elder Justice Victory in California: After being found guilty of malice, oppression and fraud in the death of Joan Boice, Emeritus Corp. was hit with $23 million in punitive charges. Boice, an older adult with Alzheimer’s disease, developed bedsores while staying in a California Emeritus assisted living home and passed away three months after her departure from the facility. The bed sores were listed as a leading cause of death. Late last year, Emeritus offered the Boice family a $3.5 million settlement, which was turned down by Eric Boice and his siblings, because “then nobody would have ever known.”

• Late last year, Bloomberg News reported that for-profit nursing homes were more prone to overbilling and profit driven cost-cutting measures, leaving many older adults vulnerable to neglect and abuse.

LOCAL NEWS (NEW YORK CITY & NEW YORK STATE)

Ruling in Woodstock Financial Exploitation Case: Timothy and Rosemary Zink pleaded guilty to misdemeanor offences after being accused of exploiting Timothy’s father, Walter Zink. The couple was initially been charged of Class 1 felonies, punishable by up to 15 years in jail, but will only serve six months and pay $70,000 in restitution to the Zink estate as part of a deal.

Elder Abuse Reported in Bronx Nursing Home: A nurse, doctor, and ambulance driver from the Goldcrest Care Center in Pelham Gardens in association with the death of Theresa Massagli, who was 87 at the time. The Massagli family is suing the Goldcrest Center after Mrs. Massagli died from complications due to blunt force trauma and a broken hip. Theresa Massagli was not buckled into her wheelchair while in a moving vehicle and sustained serious injuries after falling out and landing on her hip.

ELDER JUSTICE REPORTS FROM THE MEDIA

Financial Advisor Input Sought On Fraud Against Elderly from Financial Advisor Magazine: This piece looks at the need for consistent national standards for financial advisors taking action in cases where elder abuse is suspected.

Violence Against Older Women and the Elder Justice Act from The Huffington Post: In this striking column segment, Robert Blancato, the National Coordinator for the Elder Justice Coalition, explains why Congress needs to increase funding for the Elder Justice Act to assist the needs of victims that are not covered by the VAWA.

Something Beyond Survival: Part One from the Huffington Post: In this blog post, Pamela Glasner describes what it feels like to be victimized and how the “vicious pool of victimness” can leave you vulnerable to further abuse.

NYCEAC & PARTNERS IN THE NEWS

Cornell Researchers Sound Alarm Over Alzheimer’s Funding Cuts from Palm Beach Daily News: Speaking before the Palm Beach Symposium on Healthy Living: Brain, Aging, and Ophthalmology, NYCEAC Medical Director, Dr Mark Lachs described the recent devastating cuts to Alzheimer’s research funding, and the need to increase funding for further research to keep up with the growing population of Older Americans.

Nursing Homes Begin to Offer Shelter to Elder Abuse Victims from Us News and World Report: This Health Section feature details how long-term care facilities are beginning to respond to and report elder abuse. Using the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Center for Elder Abuse Prevention at the Hebrew Home in Riverdale, an NYCEAC partner, as model for elder abuse, six nursing homes so far have adopted the Hebrew Home’s approach and are in talks to establish more facilities in the future.

• Dan Reingold, president and CEO of the Hebrew Home, said: “People think: ‘Who would ever hit their elderly mother? Who would ever push their grandmother down the stairs? Who would ever steal their grandparents’ social security checks week after week?’ The answer is: about 2 million people.”

A Close-Up View of Elder Abuse: A New Way to Deal with Elder Abuse from Third Age: Elder abuse experts Joy Solomon and Malya Levin describe the innovative, comprehensive elder abuse program at the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Center for Elder Abuse Prevention at the Hebrew Home at Riverdale, mapping out the challenges of responding to elder abuse and how their center’s model meets victims needs.

More Efforts Needed to Protect Elderly From Financial Abuse from The Buffalo News: This Op-ed describes the partnership between Lifespan of Greater Rochester Inc. and the Weill Cornell Medical School to improve elder abuse prevention, as well as the excellent work of the New York State Coalition on Elder Abuse.

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The post A Round-Up of Elder Justice News – March 2013 appeared first on NYCEAC.

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This post includes a summary of resources as well as educational and case consultation opportunities relevant to the elder justice field. If you are aware of additional resources or have comments about any of the resources listed below, please use the response box at the end of the post to share your thoughts. We look forward to hearing from you!

The post Resources for Elder Justice Professionals appeared first on NYCEAC.