State Summit Creates Agenda to Combat Elder Abuse. Experts from law enforcement, health care and social services issue 18 policy recommendations to combat growing problem of elder abuse
New York StateÂ’s first Summit on Elder Abuse ended yesterday with participants issuing a list of recommendations to combat the problem, including a call on legislators to change the laws to protect frail and vulnerable elders.
ALBANY, NY (PRWEB) May 14, 2004
New York StateÂ’s first Summit on Elder Abuse ended today with participants issuing a list of recommendations to combat the problem, including a call on legislators to change the laws to protect frail and vulnerable elders.
At least half a million older Americans are subjected to physical, psychological and financial mistreatment each year. Experts agree that the problem is under-reported and is getting worse as the population ages.
Most states require centralized reporting of elder abuse cases -- New York is one of only five that doesn't. No state has a comprehensive program to coordinate prevention, treatment and prosecution of elder abuse.
Key recommendations from the three-day summit in Albany include:
1. NYS should enact and reform laws to protect the elderly from abuse, neglect and financial exploitation
2. Develop training for first responders (i. e. EMTÂ’s) & community partners (banks)
3. Create a statewide resource center for best practice work with elders
4. Conduct a statewide prevalence study to define the nature and scope of elder abuse
5. Carry out a statewide public information campaign
6. Develop mandatory multidisciplinary training to help identify abuse
The summit brought together 100 government officials and experts in elder abuse to develop a common definition of the problem, identify service gaps, and explore innovative intervention approaches in law enforcement, health care and social work.
“This summit was a great step toward protecting our elderly population,” said Fran Weisberg, President/CEO of Lifespan, a non-profit organization that provides services to the elderly that convened the summit. “We had experts representing a huge range of viewpoints and expertise, but we all agree that the need is urgent, the problem is growing, and the time to act is now.”
“We are calling on our state legislators to help us make New York a national model in the prevention, identification and prosecution of elder abuse,” Weisberg said. “Government, law enforcement and human service agencies must work together to target elder abuse.”
Weisberg also announced the formation of a Statewide Elder Abuse Coalition that will be charged with ensuring action on the recommendations that came out of the summit.
“The coalition will work with policy-makers and keep elder abuse in the public eye,” Weisberg said. “Lifespan will not stop working on this issue until every person knows about elder abuse, until every person knows where to call to report elder abuse and until elder abuse is recognized as a real and pressing problem.”
Along with Lifespan, three state agencies and two private health insurers sponsored the summit, which was funded in part by a federal grant obtained by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY).
About Elder Abuse:
Statistics from the National Center on Elder Abuse are disturbing:
One in 14 adults over the age of 60 is likely to be abused Nine times out of 10, family members are responsible for the abuse Financial exploitation is one of the fastest growing forms of elder abuse Only one in five cases of elder abuse is ever reported to the authorities
The downside to a population that is living longer — thanks to modern medicine and health conscious Baby Boomers born between 1946 and 1964 — is the burden the aging population places on younger generations. United Nations population studies project that close to 1 in 20 of those boomers could live to be 100 years old.
About Lifespan:
The 2004 New York State Elder Abuse Summit is convened and sponsored by Lifespan of Greater Rochester, Inc. Lifespan has been providing services to older adults and their caregivers for more than 33 years, directly serving about 18,000 older adults last year. Lifespan provides elder abuse services in 10 counties across the Finger Lakes region of New York.
For more information, please contact:
Lifespan of Greater Rochester, Inc.
1900 S. Clinton Avenue
Rochester, NY 14618
Tel: 585.244.8400
Fax: 585.244.9114
Www. lifespan-roch. org
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