NYCEAC celebrates the fourth anniversary of The Elder Justice Dispatch Blog. To celebrate this special milestone, NYCEAC has compiled nine influential blogs published July 2015-June 2016. These blogs highlight a wide number of elder justice topics, from successful elder abuse prevention campaigns to advocates’ personal encounters with elder abuse. We invite you to explore the nine blog summaries below and hope that these pique your interest to read further.

 

Advice from the Professionals: Responding to Elder Abuse

Elder Justice for Victims & Loved Ones features an interview with Liz Loewy, and spotlights the importance of reporting and prosecuting elder abuse cases. Ms. Loewy served as New York County’s District Attorney’s Office’s Elder Abuse Unit Chief for 18 years until last summer, and was lead prosecutor in the criminal trial involving the late Brooke Astor. In this blog she draws from her experience prosecuting this case as well as hundreds of other elder financial exploitation cases she handled during her time at the Manhattan DA’s Office.

Supporting Victims & Families through the Holidays was reintroduced this year to reach individuals during the holiday season. Holidays are a time of family gatherings and traditions. During the holidays, the past can be idealized, which can cause this time of year to be especially difficult for victims of elder abuse and those concerned about them. This blog provides useful tips for professionals supporting older victims and families during the holiday season.

---

Spotlights: Advocates in Elder Justice

Healing Through Elder Justice Advocacy spotlights Leanne Miller, an elder justice advocate and Ageless Alliance volunteer who was touched by elder abuse when her mother who has dementia was financially exploited by a family member. Leanne worked diligently to expose and end the abuse her mother faced, as well as pursue justice through prosecution. After living through this incredibly traumatic and painful experience, she developed a passion for raising awareness of elder abuse and using her story to help others.

It Became Love: One Advocate’s Journey into the Elder Justice World discusses how a multi-talented designer, writer, and artist became a passionate elder abuse advocate. Nancy Oatts was kind enough to sit down with NYCEAC’s Social Media Manager to discuss her personal experience encountering elder abuse, the surprising journey on which it led her, and her hopes for a future where elder abuse is prevented through the relationships that are built between neighbors.

---

Native American Elder Justice

There is a burgeoning elder justice movement among Native American, or indigenous American, tribes across the United States. NYCEAC’s Social Media Manager had the wonderful opportunity of interviewing Dr. Jacqueline Gray, Project Director for the National Indigenous Elder Justice Initiative (NIEJI) to learn about the unique work NIEJI is doing in this area. Native American Elder Justice Today describes the current landscape of the indigenous elder justice movement, notes the specific challenges to this community, highlights the work currently being done, and serves as a resource for collaboration.

---

Prevention Campaigns: Spreading the Word

Convened in October 2015 by the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), the Elder Justice League is comprised of elder justice advocates representing 11 organizations. Participating organizations have varying funding streams and missions, serve diverse populations, and share a wide breadth of expertise. The Elder Justice League: Addressing Elder Abuse through Social Media outlines how the League raises awareness of elder abuse across social media platforms and takes elder justice conversations mainstream.

NYC Elder Abuse Prevention Campaign discusses the series of public service announcements displayed by the NYC Department for the Aging (DFTA) in April and May 2016. The ads stand out for their artistic quality, simplicity, and unmistakable message, that elder abuse crosses ethnic and gender lines and takes many forms - and that there are resources available to help.

---

10-Minute Interview: A Leader in the Field of Elder Justice

In 10 Minutes with Andy Mao: Coordinator of the Elder Justice Initiative at the US Department of Justice (DOJ), NYCEAC talks with Andy Mao to chart the evolution of DOJ’s Elder Justice Initiative, with a focus on one of his signature accomplishments there: the DOJ’s Elder Justice Website.

---

NYS Elder Abuse Service Gaps, Barriers & Solutions: A Report of Findings

NY State Elder Abuse Prevention & Intervention Services Survey: Report of Findings summarizes the results of a survey that assessed the current adequacy of elder abuse victim prevention and intervention services around New York State. The survey was developed by the NYC Elder Abuse Center (NYCEAC) and Lifespan of Greater Rochester, Inc. The full report can be accessed through this blog.

This selection of blogs was first published in our September/October 2016 eNewsletter. To view the complete eNewsletter, please click here. This edition and all of our previous eNewsletters are archived and can be viewed here. To subscribe to the eNewsletter, click here.

We look forward to hearing your thoughts on these blogs and other elder justice issues. Please comment below!

By Melanie Turner NYCEAC’s Risk and Resiliency Project Intern, Summer 2016 (University of Virginia, ’19) and Kasey Brown, NYCEAC’s Program Assistant.