• President Barack Obama proclaimed June 15, 2012, as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and called  Americans to learn about the signs of elder abuse and raise awareness about this public health issue.
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced new funding for elder abuse prevention and the creation of the first Elder Justice Coordinating Council.
• Deputy Attorney General James Cole announced the Missing Link Project, established by the U.S. Department of Justice, the Office for Victims of Crime and the Access to Justice Initiative.  The purpose of the project is to develop training materials for legal service providers to identify, support and respond to the special needs of older victims.
• The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announces a public inquiry to learn more about the ways that older Americans are financially exploited.
• The Center of Excellence on Elder Abuse and Neglect, University of California, Irvine launches Ageless Alliance, a grass-roots movement aimed at connecting people of all ages to identify, prevent and eliminate elder abuse.

Local News (New York State & New York City)

• NYS Coalition on Elder Abuse has developed a new website including research, resources and links to regional coalitions and will be updated regularly to reflect the needs of those working on behalf of vulnerable older adults.
• NYC Elder Abuse Center intervenes quickly for older victims by partnering with professional disciplines involved in responding to cases of elder abuse. In this recent article, Ronald Goralewicz, RN, MSN, CNS, APRN, NPP shares his experiences with NYCEAC’s Elder Abuse Case Coordination and Review Team, highlighting key aspects of the nursing perspective. (Nurse.com)
• New York City-based organizations held trainings and events during World Elder Abuse Awareness Day:
  • Click here for information about some of the local events that were held.
  • Council of Senior Centers and Services of New York City, Inc. (CSCS) held a press conference. Photos, news and media coverage can be found their website.
• Local funding has been restored! The City Council has restored $800,000 in funding through the Department for the Aging over the past four years to keep programs whole in local communities (New York Nonprofit Press).
• The New York State Senate increases protection against financial exploitation of elderly and vulnerable adults by passing legislation to make such actions a crime. The legislation (S6712), sponsored by Senator Patrick M. Gallivan (R-C-I, Elma), gives district attorneys and police the tools they need to prosecute instances of financial exploitation of vulnerable elderly or people with physical or mental disabilities. (NewsLI.com).

If you are aware of additional recent elder justice-related news items – or if you have comments on any of these – please use the response box below to let us know your thoughts. We want to hear from you!

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