Advocates for
Older Adults Hold World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
An estimated 18,219 older northwest Ohioans are abused,
neglected and/or exploited. First responders, social
workers, health and human service professionals, attorneys
and others serving older adults joined together to raise
awareness about the community’s elder abuse, neglect and
exploitation problem and solutions on World Elder Abuse
Awareness Day on June 15 at The Toledo Hospital Education
Center Auditorium.
In part, this training focused on best practices for
determining when older adults are able to protect themselves
and when they need help protecting themselves. "The Area
Office on Aging believes the work of protecting older adults
in our community is of the utmost importance," said Billie
Johnson, Area Office on Aging President/CEO.
Presenters at the training included Lucas County Probate
Court Judge Jack R. Puffenberger, Lucas County Adult
Protective Services, an elder law attorney and
representatives from MemoryLane Care Services.
This training was part of a larger initiative to focus
attention on the often times hidden issue of elder abuse,
neglect and exploitation that face older northwest
Ohioans.
Previously, the Area Office on Aging produced a local
documentary called “You’re Not Going to Beat Me: A Story of
Elder Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation,” which helped put a
local face on this topic that is vague in the minds of many.
This video let the viewer take a peek inside what is often
the secretive world of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation
victims. This eight-minute video provides a framework for
viewers to begin to understand this topic better. The video
can be viewed at the following Web page:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqjGJVHW8cY
The Coalition of Protecting Elders (COPE) hosted last week’s
training. COPE is a community-based team of organizations
in Lucas County that address elder abuse, neglect and
exploitation through enhanced collaboration and coordination
of community resources.
If an older adult has been victimized through abuse, neglect
or exploitation, they can call Lucas Co. Adult Protective
Services at 419-213-8663.
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