Case Consultations

    Specialized Case Consultation Services Available

    Professionals working with older adults might detect elder abuse but are often unsure of how to proceed in assessing and assisting the victims and their family members. The NYC Elder Abuse Center’s (NYCEAC) expert staff can provide consultation to professionals on a range of case-related issues.

    NYCEAC can assist professionals by connecting them to specialized practitioners including geriatricians, elder abuse social workers, forensic accountants and geropsychiatrists. Generous grant funding – and the support of our partners – allows NYCEAC to offer these services free of charge. However, availability of services is limited geographically according to funding parameters.

    Medical Consultations
    Social Work Consultations
    Forensic Accountant Consultations
    Geropsychiatrist Consultations

    Medical Consultations

    Veronica LoFaso, MD, is available to provide case consultations on non-emergent medical concerns to professionals working on elder abuse and neglect cases occurring in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Examples of non-emergent medical concerns include questions pertaining to medications, memory disorders, diagnoses and/or injuries.

    Please Note: This consult service is a resource for professionals to clarify medical questions that emerge when conducting assessments and interventions on complex elder abuse cases. This consultation is not focused on patient treatment. A patient needing medical assistance for injuries sustained or for any other reason should be seen by a health care provider. Refer medical emergencies to 911.

    Dr. LoFaso, a physician with the NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medine, Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, is providing this service through the NYC Elder Abuse Center.

    Medical Case Consultation Eligibility Criteria
    • Practitioners from any discipline can utilize the medical consultation services.
    • The elder abuse victim must be 60 and over AND reside in Brooklyn or Manhattan, or the case needs to have someone age 60 and over living in a dwelling located in Brooklyn or Manhattan.
    • If the victim is under 60 OR there is nobody in the house 60 and over AND/OR the dwelling is not located in Brooklyn or Manhattan, the case will be considered for consultation at the discretion of the NYCEAC’s Multidisciplinary Team Coordinator (MDTC).
    Process for Obtaining a Medical Case Consultation

    Utilize the following 3-step process to access a non-emergent medical-related case consultation:

    1. Speak to your supervisor to confirm the need for a medical-related consultation on an elder abuse or neglect case.
    2. Email your consultation request to NYCEAC’s Elder Abuse Prevention Specialist/MDT Coordinator, Peg Horan, LMSW, at [email protected]. The email should include the following information: a) your name; b) your contact information; and c) the general medical issue(s) leading you to request a medical consultation.
    3. Peg will arrange an appointment for you to talk with Dr. LoFaso—either on the phone or in-person—on a Wednesday between 10:30-11:30 am. Consults on other dates/times can be arranged on a case-by-case basis only.

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    Social Work Consultations

    Social work consultations are available to professionals working on elder abuse and neglect cases occurring in Brooklyn and Manhattan. This consult service is available to assist with questions relating to assessment of elder abuse and interventions with victims and their family members, safety planning and a wide range of resources available to victims.

    Social Work Case Consultation Eligibility Criteria
    • Practitioners from any discipline can utilize the social work consultation services.
    • The elder abuse victim must be 60 and over AND reside in Brooklyn or Manhattan, or the case needs to have someone age 60 and over living in a dwelling located in Brooklyn or Manhattan.
    • If the victim is under 60 OR there is nobody in the house 60 and over AND/OR the dwelling is not located in Brooklyn or Manhattan, the case will be considered for consultation at the discretion of the NYCEAC’s Multidisciplinary Team Coordinator (MDTC).
    Process for Obtaining a Social Work Case Consultation

    Utilize the following 2-step process to access a non-emergent social work-related case consultation:

    1. Speak to your supervisor to confirm the need for a social work case consultation on an elder abuse or neglect case.
    2. Contact NYCEAC’s Elder Abuse Prevention Specialist/MDT Coordinator, Peg Horan, LMSW, at [email protected] or (212) 746-7211 to schedule a time and date for the consult. Case consults will be scheduled upon availability.

    If you have questions, please contact Peg Horan at [email protected].

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    Forensic Accountant Consultations

    NYCEAC has access to a Forensic Accountant to provide consultations to professionals working on cases involving financial elder abuse in Manhattan and Brooklyn. This consult service is available to assist with questions related to the analysis of accounting documents such as banking and investment statements and records of financial transactions.

    Forensic Accountant Case Consultation Eligibility Criteria
    • Practitioners from any discipline can utilize the forensic accountant consultation services.
    • The elder abuse victim must be 60 and over AND reside in Brooklyn or Manhattan, or the case needs to have someone age 60 and over living in a dwelling located in Brooklyn or Manhattan.
    • The case must involve elements of elder financial exploitation.
    • If the victim is under 60 OR there is nobody in the house 60 and over AND/OR the dwelling is not located in Brooklyn or Manhattan, the case will be considered for consultation at the discretion of the NYCEAC’s Multidisciplinary Team Coordinator (MDTC).
    Process for Obtaining a Forensic Accountant Case Consultation

    Utilize the following 3-step process to access a non-emergent forensic accountant-related case consultation:

    1. Speak to your supervisor to confirm the need for a forensic accountant case consultation on an elder abuse or neglect case.
    2. Email your consultation request to NYCEAC’s Elder Abuse Prevention Specialist/MDT Coordinator, Peg Horan, LMSW, at [email protected]. The email should include the following information: a) your name; b) your contact information; and c) the general financial issue(s) leading you to request a forensic accountant consultation.
    3. Peg will arrange an appointment for you to speak with a forensic accountant. Case consults will be scheduled based upon availability.

    If you have questions, please contact Peg Horan at [email protected].

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    Geropsychiatrist Consultation

    Robert Abrams, MD, and Nancy Needell, MD, are available to provide case consultations on non-emergent geropsychiatric concerns to professionals working on elder abuse and neglect cases with elder financial exploitation elements occurring in Manhattan. Examples of non-emergent geropsychiatric concerns include questions pertaining to psychiatric disorders in geriatric populations, memory disorders, psychiatric diagnoses and capacity.

    Please Note: This consult service is a resource for professionals to clarify psychiatric questions that emerge when conducting assessments and interventions on complex elder abuse cases with elements of elder financial exploitatioin. This consultation is not focused on patient treatment. A patient needing psychiatric assistance should be seen by a health care provider. Refer psychiatric emergencies to 911.

    Drs. Abrams and Needell, physicians with NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine, are providing this service through the NYC Elder Abuse Center’s Manhattan Enhanced Multidisciplinary Team.

    Geropsychiatrist Case Consultation Eligibility Criteria
    • Practitioners from any discipline can utilize the geropsychiatrist consultation services.
    • The elder abuse victim must be 60 and over AND reside in Brooklyn or Manhattan, or the case needs to have someone age 60 and over living in a dwelling located in Brooklyn or Manhattan.
    • The case must involve elements of elder financial exploitation.
    • If the victim is under 60 OR there is nobody in the house 60 and over AND/OR the dwelling is not located in Brooklyn or Manhattan, the case will be considered for consultation at the discretion of the NYCEAC’s Multidisciplinary Team Coordinator (MDTC).
    Process for Obtaining a Geropsychiatrist Case Consultation

    Utilize the following 3-step process to access a non-emergent geropsychiatric-related case consultation:

    1. Speak to your supervisor to confirm the need for a geropsychiatric-related consultation on an elder abuse or neglect case.
    2. Email your consultation request to NYCEAC’s Elder Abuse Prevention Specialist/MDT Coordinator, Peg Horan, LMSW, at [email protected]. The email should include the following information: a) your name; b) your contact information; and c) the general geropsychiatric issue(s) leading you to request a geropsychiatrist consultation.
    3. Peg will arrange an appointment for you to speak with Dr. Abrams or Dr. Needell. Case consultations will be scheduled based upon availability.

    If you have questions, please contact Peg Horan at [email protected].

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