NAPSRC cropped
NAPSRC Newsletter
The Newsletter of the National Adult Protective Services Resource Center
May 2012
The National Adult Protective Services Resource Center (NAPSRC) is a function of the US Administration on Aging through a grant to the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA).
 
 
In This Issue
Generating Awareness
Featured Article
Evidence-based Survey Success
Latest R2P Brief
FTC Seeks Public Input
Webinar - Legal Services
Conference Calendar
White House WEAAD
State Legislation
Webinar - CFPB
National Survey
Let Us Know
National Adult Protective Services Resource Center
 
 
  
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NCEA

How Your Organization Can Generate Awareness &
Foster Action in the Fight Against Elder Abuse

The National Center on Elder Abuse has a tip sheet for organizations on ways they can raise awareness of elder abuse on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD).

 

DOJ Seeks to Collect Information on Elder Abuse Program

The Department of Justice, Office on Violence against Women (OVW), has requested approval to extend the public comment period by 30 days, until June 21, 2012, on its Progress Report for Enhanced Training and Services to End Violence Against and Abuse of Women Later in Life Program. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/caomfzh. 

If you have experience with a local multi-disciplinary team funded through this program, feel free to comment on how the team affects client services, criminal investigations and prosecutions, and how it works with APS.

Aging Policy & Public Health News from Health Benefits ABCs April 30, 2012 
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Evidence-based APS Practices Survey a Success  
 
Thank you to everyone who responded to the recent survey on evidence-based APS practices, which the Center conducted with our partner the National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD). We are extremely pleased that we received 45 responses from 22 states, which is higher than we had predicted. We'll be following up with the responders to gather more information. 
 
New Research to Practice (R2P) Brief

 

The Research to Practice series from the NAPSRC is a product of the NAPSA-NCPEA Research Committee.  The purpose of this research summary is to provide direct access to findings in order to enhance practice and clarify policy choices.  

 

This brief, titled Elder Abuse Computerized Decision Support System  summarizes a recent webinar on the topic. 



FTC Seeks Public Input on How Identity Theft Impacts Senior Citizens

 

The staff of the Federal Trade Commission is seeking information from the public on how identity theft impacts senior citizens, which the agency will use to inform its law enforcement agenda, policy initiatives and consumer education efforts. Comments can be submitted through July 15, 2012.

 

More information is available here.   

  

Webinar

Legal Services of Northern California

Legal Services and APS

June 28, 2012 - 3 PM ET

 

Join us for a webinar on what legal services programs provide and how they can work effectively with APS. More detailed information will be provided with the email invitation.

 

PRESENTER:  

Sheri Newman  

Staff Attorney

Senior Legal Hotline

Northern California Legal Services Corporation  

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CONFERENCE CALENDAR
 

 Virginia Coalition for the Prevention of Elder Abuse 

May 30 - June 1, 2012 

Virginia Beach Resort & Conference Center

*

Tools of the Trade - Building Financial Exploitation Cases

June 6 - 8, 2012

Orlando, Florida 

*  

  National Center for Victims of Crime 2012 National Conference 

September 19 - 21, 2012
New Orleans, Louisiana
*
 October 2-4, 2012
Marriott Hotel and Conference Center,
Albany, New York
*  

National Adult Protective Services Association Annual Conference 

October 16-18, 2012

Phoenix, Arizona 

 


The National Adult Protective Services Resource Center (NAPSRC) is a project (Grant No. 90ER0002/01) of the U.S. Administration on Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), administered by the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA).  Grantees carrying out projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Therefore, points of view or opinions do not necessarily represent official Administration on Aging or DHHS policy.
White House Event to Recognize 
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 
 
For the first time the White House, in collaboration with the Administration for Community Living (ACL/HHS), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and the Department of Justice, will host a day-long symposium in recognition of the 7th annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The event, which will be held at the White House on June 14, 2012, will bring together public and private partners to raise awareness of elder abuse, in particular financial exploitation.   

 

Kathleen Quinn, Bill Benson and Joe Snyder of NAPSA have all been invited to attend.  

 

According to ACL,"the White House event provides a wonderful opportunity for your organization to host your own World Day event." There will be four sessions, all of which will be webcast live on the White House website, and will include social media-based interactive question and answer sessions on Twitter and Facebook. The day will feature speakers from the federal government, national banking institutions, and leading elder abuse experts from around the country.  

 

As part of your World Day commemoration, please consider hosting a "Watch Party" to broadcast any of the four sessions:

  • 9a.m. - 9:45a.m. Opening Session;
  • 9:45a.m. - 11:30a.m. Panel on Prevention of Financial Exploitation;
  • 1:30p.m. -3:15p.m. Panel on Responses to Financial Exploitation;
  • 3:30p.m. - 4:00p.m. Closing Session.
 
Colorado Capitol
State Legislatures Address Elder Abuse 

 

COLORADO    

Proposed Task Force to Study Mandatory Reporting 

 

Lawmakers in Colorado are trying to change the fact that their state is one of only four that do not have mandatory reporting laws governing elder abuse.

  

State Sen. Evie Hudak (D) introduced legislation that would form a task force to study mandatory reporting. It would offer recommendations by Dec. 1, the Denver Post reported. Hudak originally wanted to draft a bill requiring certain professionals to report cases of suspected abuse - whether in an elder's own home or in a nursing facility - but similar previous legislation has failed to gain traction.

  

When similar mandatory reporting bills have been debated, they have failed because county departments tasked with enforcing such a policy said they lacked the funding to properly train personnel that handle complaints.

  

"They can't do it without additional funding," Hudak told fellow legislators, according to the Colorado newspaper.

  

Source: McKnight's, May 1 2012

Aging Policy & Public Health News from Health Benefits ABCs April 30, 2012  

 

MARYLAND 

New law will help protect seniors from bank fraud

 

Montgomery County, MD -- The bill, which is expected to be signed into law by Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) next month, requires employees of banks and other fiduciary institutions to report "knowledge of behavior or unusual circumstances or transactions," that indicate an elder adultmay be the victim of financial abuse. 

 

Source: The Gazette, April 25 2012, 

Aging Policy & Public Health News from Health Benefits ABCs April 30, 2012


MISSOURI 

Mo. House votes to expand state's elder abuse law

  

St. Louis, MO -- Missouri's elder abuse law could soon be expanded to protect older citizens from financial exploitation. The House voted 147-2 in favor of legislation that makes it a crime for those with authority over an elderly person to take advantage of that person's state of mind for financial gain. 

  

Source: St. Louis.com, May 15, 2012 

Aging Policy & Public Health News from Health Benefits ABCs May 15, 2012  Columbia Missourian


NORTH CAROLINA

Governor sheds light on elder abuse issues

 

RALEIGH - Gov. Bev Perdue encouraged members of the Senior Tar Heel Legislature to make a difference in North Carolina by becoming familiar with aging issues and advocate for vulnerable individuals.

 

Perdue specifically identified elder abuse as a topic to keep on the minds of state legislators. Several state leaders addressed the Senior Tar Heels during its first meeting of the year in Raleigh.

 

According to Dennis Streets, director of the Division of Aging and Adult Services, the number of Adult Protective Service reports to county departments of social services increased from more than 14,000 in 2006-07 to nearly 20,000 in 2010-11. He added that research shows "victims of even the modest forms of abuse have dramatically higher morbidity and mortality rates than non-abused older people."

 

Currently, the Division of Aging and Adult Services is working with the N.C. Conference of District Attorneys to improve access to justice for victims of abuse, neglect and exploitation.

 

An Elder Abuse Awareness Campaign begins on Mother's Day, May 13th and ends on Father's Day, June 17th. Everyone is encouraged to wear purple ribbons to offer support for this campaign.

During the two-day meeting, Senior Tar Heels learned about other aging initiatives such as a new project through Community Care of North Carolina.

 

Source: Rocky Mount Telegram, April 28, 2012

Aging Policy & Public Health News from Health Benefits ABCs April 30, 2012  

 

OREGON 

New law helps protect the elderly

 

FOREST GROVE, Ore. - People who abuse the elderly will no longer get to hide their crimes in Oregon.

 

A new law to fight elder abuse is now in effect. Under the previous law, a person guilty of elder abuse could have the crime expunged from their record. But this is not an option with House Bill 4084, which was signed into law by Governor John Kitzhaber on March 27. The law states that the crime will permanently stay on a perpetrator's record.

  

The new law also makes it easier for investigators to access financial and medical records because some of the elderly, including people with dementia, are not able to give consent. They can now issue a subpoena, instead of a search warrant, to save time. Also, the statute of limitations for elder abuse crimes changes from three to six years.

 

In 2010, the Oregon Department of Human Services listed 2,608 victims of elder abuse and abuse of adults with physical disabilities.

 

Source: KATU.com, May 3, 2012  

Aging Policy & Public Health News from Health Benefits ABCs April 30, 2012  

 

Note: In the April edition of this newsletter, legislative initiatives in Alaska and Minnesota were highlighted.  

 

 

     CFPB 

 

 Webinar

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau:

New Federal Efforts to Combat Elder Financial Exploitation

June 6, 2012

11:00 PT | 12:00 MT | 1:00 CT | 2:00 ET

 

Co-sponsored by NAPSA, the National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (NCPEA) and the Academy for Professional Excellence at San Diego State University. 

 

Registration is limited so please register early.

  

To register: e-mail your request to attend The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau webinar to academylms@projects.sdsu.edu.

You will receive a confirmation e-mail with log-in details 

 

Please join us for a webinar to hear the CFPB's Naomi Karp discuss the Bureau's Office for Older Americans and how you can collaborate with the Bureau to prevent, detect and redress elder financial exploitation. Karp will present an overview of the CFPB and the resources it offers those in the elder justice field, and will describe the Office for Older Americans' specific projects in the pipeline. Since CFPB wants to hear your ideas and the challenges you face, there will be ample time for questions and comments. 

 

PRESENTER: Naomi Karp

Naomi Karp is a policy advisor for the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) Office for Older Americans. Her work includes consumer education and policy initiatives to prevent, detect and redress elder financial exploitation, as well as efforts to enhance planning for retirement and long-term care. Previously she conducted research, policy analysis and advocacy at AARP and the ABA Commission on Law and Aging, and was a legal services attorney for ten years.

      

National Survey on Abuse of People with Disabilities   

 

Add your knowledge and expertise regarding abuse and individuals with any type of disability across the lifespan. Take the survey then forward it widely, to help in the dissemination effort. Click here to take the survey.  

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Do you have...

  • An initiative you're especially proud of?
  • An event or conference, training, public awareness effort which you'd like to publicize?
  • A recent success story you'd like to share with your APS colleagues?
Please email your information to us at napsrc@apsnetwork.org and we'll add it to a future newsletter if possible. 


NAPSA  offers a special thank you to Health Benefits ABCs, whose twice-monthly newsletter, AGING POLICY/PUBLIC HEALTH NEWS, provided some of the information in this newsletter.