The Department of Aging marks World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) with the launch of two new online education resources.
| The Pennsylvania Department of Aging marks World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) with the launch of two new online education resources. New Webpage Focused on the Growing Problem of Financial Exploitation of Older Adults Our new financial exploitation resource webpage features information for older adults, caregivers and other aging professionals on warning signs, preventive measures, and an expandable menu of resources on key topics such as banking and finance, legal services and dementia. Future resources will include short educational videos from our Financial Exploitation Task Force experts explaining financial exploitation topics in everyday terms, as well as, a social media tool kit. Learn about Financial Exploitation by visiting www.aging.pa.gov/FE New Elder Abuse Awareness Web-based Training This interactive module is available to Commonwealth employees, Pennsylvania’s aging network and the public. The module was developed to reach a broad audience and covers the four major types of abuse and how to recognize them; signs to watch for, mandatory and voluntary reporting of abuse, when and how to report, and more. The training takes about 20 minutes to complete. This training is available on the PDA Learning Management System (LMS). Access the Online Training Module via PDA-LMS To access the online training module click the above button or navigate the path below: Visit https://www.pda-lms.org Scroll to the Training Resources section (see screenshot below) Select Elder Abuse Awareness Training (Note: Non-Commonwealth employees will not receive a certificate of completion for this course. Commonwealth employees who wish to have their completion certified can access this course by searching Elder Abuse in My Training on www.myworkplace.pa.gov). WEAAD is an opportunity for people and organizations to take action to protect older adults by raising awareness about elder abuse, why it occurs, and what can be done to stop it. Learn More About WEAAD Activities and Resources |
Domestic Violence Services (DVS) of Lancaster County
| See You May 26! |
| Dear Friends of DVS, As a primary care clinician at Union Community Care during these stressful pandemic days, I regularly see women who are trying to survive with limited resources for themselves and their children. The pandemic’s isolation has permitted intimate partner violence to continue – in a very frightening way. At UCC, we ask our patients about their safety at home in many different ways, and I hope that by doing this, we are giving folks an opportunity to ask for help, whether through verbal information, the texting number in our bathrooms, or referral to our embedded social work and behavioral health staff. In addition to supporting victims and survivors in my work, my husband, Lenny Walton, and I have personally supported DVS for many years in various ways – including introducing our friends and neighbors to this important cause. I would invite you to please join me at the first-ever DVS Mixer on May 26th and bring a friend to learn about DVS and widen our circle of caring. |
| Linda Gort DVS Supporter & Advocate2021 Catalyst for Change Awardee |
| Connect the Dots AND Bring a Friend! |
| Please join us for the DVS Spring Mixer! Thursday, May 26, 20225:30 – 7:30p.m.Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum2451 Kissel Hill Rd, Lancaster, PA 17601If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out! Please contact Brittany Mitchell, at bmitchell@caplanc.org or call 717-299-7388 ext. 3099 |
| Sponsorships are available and the key to our success! We seek business, organizational and individual sponsorships for our year-long series of events – as a package. Sponsors will receive even more recognition than in the past, as they will be featured at various events throughout the year. For more information, please contact: Kristy Aurand • Phone: 717-299-7388, ext. 3032 • Email: kaurand@caplanc.org |
| Other Ways to Support! |
| Do you want to help domestic violence survivors, but you aren’t sure what you can do? We’re here to help.We hope you will join us in standing up for survivors in October and always. Here’s how you can get involved:Sign up to be an advocate. Start a Facebook Fundraiser.Set up a monthly donation. Share your story. Become a sponsor.Attend the events.Schedule a Circle of Support. Thank You For SupportingVictims & Survivors! |
| Community Action Program of Lancaster County | 601 South Queen Street, P.O. Box 599, Lancaster, PA 17608-0599 |
Domestic Violence Services of Lancaster County
| See You May 26! Dear Friends of DVS, Spring is here, and we are so excited about the opportunity to gather with you in person at the Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum on May 26th! We recognize that we’ve changed it up this year. We have moved from the Saturday night Gala format, which was successful for so many years, to two more accessible gatherings, one on May 26 and the other in October. While change can be challenging, our intention with this shift is to mingle our longtime supporters with a new group of community members who will become dedicated to the DVS mission. For each ticket purchased, we encourage you to invite one new supporter to become more familiar with DVS’ work and with the challenges faced by domestic abuse survivors. While so many things have changed over the past two years, there are some things that remain the same. Our mission to end domestic violence is one. And the amazing support that DVS receives from the community to help support survivors rebuild their lives is another. Great food and drinks. Live music. Delicious desserts. A mission moment…We look forward to seeing you on May 26th! Wishing you safety and peace in your homes, Connect the Dots AND Bring a Friend! Please join us for the DVS Spring Mixer! Thursday, May 26, 20225:30 – 7:30p.m.Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum 2451 Kissel Hill Rd, Lancaster, PA 17601 If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out! Please contact Brittany Mitchell, at bmitchell@caplanc.org or call 717-299-7388 ext. 3099 Purchase Tickets HereSponsorship Opportunities Sponsorships are available and the key to our success! We seek business, organizational and individual sponsorships for our year-long series of events – as a package. Sponsors will receive even more recognition than in the past, as they will be featured at various events throughout the year. For more information, please contact: Kristy Aurand • Phone: 717-299-7388, ext. 3032 • Email: kaurand@caplanc.org Other Ways to Support! Do you want to help domestic violence survivors, but you aren’t sure what you can do? We’re here to help.We hope you will join us in standing up for survivors in October and always. Here’s how you can get involved: Sign up to be an advocate. Start a Facebook Fundraiser.Set up a monthly donation. Share your story. Become a sponsor.Attend the events.Schedule a Circle of Support. Thank You For Supporting Victims & Survivors! Support DVS with a One Time GiftSustain DVS with a Recurring Gift About Domestic Violence Services (DVS) of Lancaster County DVS is a catalyst to eliminate domestic violence in Lancaster County through direct service, advocacy, and social change. DVS offers 24/7 hotline and text line, emergency shelter, counseling, children’s programming, legal advocacy and representation, and transitional housing. All services are free of charge and strictly confidential. DVS hosts professional trainings and community education and prevention sessions for schools, businesses and community and faith-based organizations. For more information, visit caplanc.org/DVS. |
| Community Action Program of Lancaster County | 601 South Queen Street, P.O. Box 599, Lancaster, PA 17608-0599 |
Domestic Violence Lancaster County Spring Mixer – Save the Date: May 26!
| Save the Date! Connect the Dots AND Bring a Friend! Please join us for the DVS Spring Mixer! Thursday, May 26, 2022 5:30 – 7:30p.m. Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum 2451 Kissel Hill Rd, Lancaster, PA 17601 To expand our reach, we are giving away a free ticket for every ticket purchased! Bring a new friend or DVS supporter to the event at no additional cost. At the Mixer, we’ll have the opportunity to mingle and learn about what is happening at DVS in a fun, indoor/outdoor venue with live music, light food, and drinks. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out! Please contact Brittany Mitchell, at bmitchell@caplanc.org or call 717-299-7388 ext. 3099Will You Be Attending? LOCATION 2451 Kissel Hill Rd, Lancaster, PA 17601 DATE AND TIME 05/26/22 5:30pm – 05/26/22 7:30pm I’ll be there! Maybe I can’t make it Purchase Tickets Here Sponsorship Opportunities Sponsorships are available and the key to our success! We seek business, organizational and individual sponsorships for our year-long series of events – as a package. Sponsors will receive even more recognition than in the past, as they will be featured at various events throughout the year. For more information, please contact: Kristy Aurand • Phone: 717-299-7388, ext. 3032 • Email: kaurand@caplanc.org Other Ways to Support! Do you want to help domestic violence survivors, but you aren’t sure what you can do? We’re here to help. We hope you will join us in standing up for survivors in October and always. Here’s how you can get involved: Sign up to be an advocate. Start a Facebook Fundraiser. Set up a monthly donation. Share your story. Become a sponsor. Attend the events. Schedule a Circle of Support. Thank You For Supporting Victims & Survivors! Support DVS with a One Time GiftSustain DVS with a Recurring Gift About Domestic Violence Services (DVS) of Lancaster County DVS is a catalyst to eliminate domestic violence in Lancaster County through direct service, advocacy, and social change. DVS offers 24/7 hotline and text line, emergency shelter, counseling, children’s programming, legal advocacy and representation, and transitional housing. All services are free of charge and strictly confidential. DVS hosts professional trainings and community education and prevention sessions for schools, businesses and community and faith-based organizations. For more information, visit caplanc.org/DVS. |
| Community Action Program of Lancaster County | 601 South Queen Street, P.O. Box 599, Lancaster, PA 17608-0599 |
Sexual Abuse in Nursing Homes: What You Need to Know
Sexual abuse is non-consensual sexual contact by one person upon another. It may happen as the result of deceiving, manipulating, or forcing the resident into sexual contact. Sexual abuse is a form of elder abuse that frequently goes underreported, under-investigated, and unnoticed. In 2016, Ombudsman programs investigated 819 complaints regarding sexual abuse.
Sexual abuse can take on many forms and includes:
- Unwanted intimate touching of any kind, especially to breasts or genital area;
- Rape, oral or anal sex;
- Forced nudity;
- Forced observation of masturbation and/or pornography; and
- Taking sexually explicit photographs or audio/video recordings of a resident and distributing them online or in-person. This includes pictures or recordings of residents that are not fully clothed while they are being cared for (bathing, dressing, etc.).
https://theconsumervoice.org/uploads/files/issues/sexual-abuse-issue-brief-FINAL.pdf
https://theconsumervoice.org/issues/other-issues-and-resources/elder-abuse
“Unfortunately, the sexual abuse of elders is poorly understood and under-researched. The elderly victims of sexual abuse often have medical problems that result in difficulties communicating, confusion, or memory loss — all of which interfere with the ability of the elder to report the abuse.”
“Elder sexual abuse is defined as an action against an elder that is unwanted and sexual in origin. It usually involves those older than 60 years of age.” – SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse Center
Protecting Rights and Preventing Abuse | Increased Investment to Strengthen Adult Protective Services
The Administration for Community Living has announced an approximately $3 million investment in the development of tools and infrastructure to support states in building Adult Protective Services (APS). The investment is the result of a partnership between ACL’s Office of Elder Justice and Adult Protective Services and ACL’s Office of Performance and Evaluation. ACL plans to undertake the following tasks:
- Update the National Voluntary Consensus Guidelines for State Adult Protective Services Systems, create a dissemination plan for the guidelines, and produce a research agenda for evidence-based best practices;
- Design and implement an APS client outcomes study evaluating how various micro-, mezzo-, and macro- system components impact APS client outcomes; and
- Create an inventory of screening and assessment tools used by APS and others to screen for elder abuse, and assess each tool’s level of validity.
All people have the right to live their lives with dignity and respect, free from abuse of any kind. Unfortunately, far too many older adults and people with disabilities are abused, neglected or exploited. ACL is committed to developing systems and programs that prevent abuse from happening, protecting people from abusive situations, and supporting people who have experienced abuse to help them recover.
“Pennsylvania criticized for how it handles elder abuse cases” – Penn Live
“An internal Pennsylvania state government watchdog agency is criticizing how county-level agencies investigate thousands of complaints they receive about elder abuse and how the state ensures complaints are investigated adequately.
“Among the shortcomings identified by the Office of State Inspector General were failures by some county-level agencies to properly investigate complaints under timelines required by state law and inadequate staffing of the state office that monitors those agencies.
“A six-page summary of the report released this week also said investigative practices aren’t standardized across counties and it criticized training requirements for caseworkers as far too weak, particularly compared to model states.
“Complaints can involve physical abuse, self-neglect or financial exploitation and Pennsylvania, like other states, is seeing a fast-growing number of complaints that has forced some counties to hire more caseworkers to keep up.”
Continue reading this Penn Live article, click here.
This opinion column, Paul Muschick: Pennsylvania’s elderly deserve protection from abuse and neglect, appears in The Morning Call.
Here is the Pennsylvania Department of Aging’s Statement on the Office of State Inspector General’s Report on Older Adults Protective Services: The Department of Aging is steadfast in its commitment to uphold its duties under the Older Americans.
“A number of news organizations, including the Reading Eagle in a Nov. 5 Right-to-Know request, had sought the report. After being denied the report in December, Wolf’s office said they intended to release a summary online.” – from a January 9, 2019 article in The Reading Eagle.
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