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This post includes a summary of resources and educational 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 National Adult Protective Services Association will host a free webinar on August 8, 2013 from 2:00-3:00pm EDT as part of their Research to Practice (R2P) webinar series. This webinar titled, “Borrowing Evidence-Based Practices from Other Fields: Ideas for Adult Protective Services (APS),” will feature Shannon Flasch from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency. She will present a report that looks to other fields (including mental health, public health and child protection) for evidence-based interventions that could be adopted or adapted by APS agencies. To register, and for more information, please click here. Recordings of several previous R2P webinars are available here.

Stay Informed

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has recently published a Committee Opinion on elder abuse. The authors, who are members of an advisory committee, provide recommendations for ACOG’s constituents on screening, intervention and training around the issue of elder abuse. To read the brief online, click here. To download a PDF copy of the brief, click here.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has released a new publication on elder abuse titled, “Understanding Elder Abuse: New Directions for Developing Theories of Elder Abuse Occurring in Domestic Settings.” The publication includes findings from two National Institute of Justice (NIJ) studies of elder abuse in domestic settings. The authors emphasize the importance of developing new theories of elder abuse and examining current theories to increase understanding and guide future research. Click here to download the publication.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has published a report titled, “Elder Justice: More Federal Coordination and Public Awareness Needed.” The report is the result of a study conducted by the GAO to examine the current array of elder abuse programs within various branches of the federal government. The authors recommend increasing coordination of efforts on the federal level and creating a national awareness-raising campaign. To read the highlights of the report, click here. To download the complete GAO report, click here.

The U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing on July 19, 2013 on the topic, “Social Security Payments Go Paperless: Protecting Seniors from Fraud and Confusion.” Several experts testified on the impact that this move to paperless Social Security payments will have on older Americans. The paperless system brings new protections against fraud, but also creates new challenges and risks. To view the complete hearing or read transcripts of the testimony, please click here.

Resources and Tools for Professionals

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has a list of Common Fraud Schemes available online. The list, available here, includes details of the scams and tips for protecting oneself against these and other schemes. The FBI has also created a page for older adults that explains how and why they are common targets of fraud. This page, which can be viewed by clicking here, lists the schemes that are most commonly targeted at older adults and the steps they can take to protect themselves.

Dr. Jason Karlawish, a researcher and physician at the University of Pennsylvania’s Memory Center, has recently made available the Assessment of Capacity for Everyday Decisionmaking (the ACED). The ACED is an instrument developed as a result of Dr. Karlawish’s research with Dr. James Lai on capacity in older adults. To view additional information about this tool and/or to request a copy, click here.

Join the Field

CONNECT, an innovative domestic violence program that combines violence prevention and early intervention strategies with direct services to survivors of intimate partner violence, is seeking applicants for the position of Legal Advocate. This individual will be responsible for providing legal information, advocacy and services to victims and survivors of domestic violence. Applicants will ideally have experience in the field of domestic violence or gender violence, experience and familiarity with immigration law, interest and experience in social justice, experience working directly with victims of crime and trauma from diverse backgrounds, a Bachelor’s degree and at least two years of work in a related field. For more information about this position and how to apply, please click here to download the complete job description.

Related Stories

1. Resources for Elder Justice Professional – June 2013
2. Resources for Elder Justice Professionals – May 2013
3. Resources for Elder Justice Professionals – April 2013