“This is the fifth year that we are hosting our annual elder justice event, but it’s not our traditional in-person forum,” says Nicole Howell, executive director of Ombudsman Services of Contra Costa, Solano and Alameda. “We rapidly pivoted and transitioned to a yearlong monthly webinar series that brings our industry together with leaders at the forefront of addressing the evolution of elder abuse and COVID-19.”
According to the Administration for Community Living (ACL), it is “estimated that 5 million older adults are abused, neglected, or exploited” every year. In addition, these aging adults lose more than $2.6 billion due to elder financial abuse, which is critical to their lifestyle and basic needs. The ACL also reports that only one in five elder abuse crimes are discovered.
“Our world is like a snow globe, right? We’ve gotten super shaken up, and now a critical issue is even more magnified,” Howell continues. “Elder abuse doesn’t discriminate. It happens to anyone and everyone. With seniors in isolation, we’re doing everything in our power to ensure their overall safety, health, and wellness, but it’s not enough. We need big systemic changes, and that’s our goal with bringing everyone together for this event.”
This program is set to launch on Thursday, June 18, 2020, with the first webinar taking place from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM. This series of monthly webinars will continue to take place on the third Thursday of every month until May 20, 2021.
The first event on June 18 features elder abuse investigation and prosecution expert Paul Greenwood with a keynote on the “Collaboration and the Future of Elder Justice.” As a newly retired district attorney who headed up the Elder Abuse Prosecution Unit at the San Diego DA’s Office for over twenty years, Paul is known worldwide for his consultancy on elder abuse cases as well as law enforcement and agency training.
Other topics in this series include:
- Preventing Eviction in the Age of COVID-19
- National Trends in Adult Protective Services Amid COVID-19
- Professional Strategies – Taking Care of Ourselves So We Can Take Care of Others
- Actionable Engagement Tactics to Prevent Isolation + Advances in Technology
- Rights Afforded to Victims and Their Families
- The Art and Science of Working with “Non-Verbal” Clients
- Expanding Reach and Impact with Community-Based Organizations, First Responders, Local Government, and More
- Scam Prevention and Recovery
Registration for this first session is available through Eventbrite, and more information on future sessions can be found on the event webpage.
The Elder Justice Lunch and Learn program is sponsored by Kaiser Permanente and planning partners that include California Department of Social Services (CDSS); California Department of Aging (CDA); California Commission on Aging (CCOA); California Long-Term Care Ombudsman Association (CLTCOA); California State Association of Public Administrators, Public Guardians, and Public Conservators (CAPAPGPC); and California Department of Aging State Long-Term Care Ombudsman.