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2024 Elder Abuse Awareness Day

Registration open for annual conference on combating elder exploitation

The Attorney General’s Crime Victims Services Section has opened registration for the annual Elder Abuse Awareness Day Conference — with the theme this year of “Dollars and Sense: Financial Exploitation of Older Adults” — scheduled for June 26 at the Sharonville Convention Center near Cincinnati.

The daylong event, which marks Ohio Elder Abuse Awareness Day, is one of several events and activities presented each year by the Attorney General’s Elder Abuse Commission to increase awareness, detection and prevention of elder abuse statewide. The conference is designed for Adult Protective Service workers, prosecutors and law enforcement officers who serve older Ohioans.

The registration deadline is June 7. To learn more and/or register, click here.


Highlights from the 2023 Ohio Elder Abuse Awareness Day

The Conference had a strong turnout with nearly 200 advocates and professionals joining together to learn about effective strategies for dealing with the growing problem of elder abuse. The 2023 conference focused on the role that trauma plays in the lives and circumstances of older adults and the importance of using trauma-informed approaches. We can all play a part in promoting Elder Justice for all older Ohioans.

Conference Take-Aways

  • We explored the value of implementing the principles of trauma informed models of care when responding to allegations of elder abuse and crime victims.
  • We increased our awareness of the various types of trauma informed models of care and the impact on older adults.
  • Transformational trauma-informed organizations must represent a profound cultural shift that include the following:
    • People and their conditions and behaviors are viewed differently
    • Staff respond differently (clinical, clerical, security, custodial)
    • The delivery of services is conducted differently
    • There is no one-time training, but a shift in culture

Recorded Morning Session

(click image below to view the video)

Elder Abuse Awareness Day thumbnail

Power Point Slide Decks

(click each link below to view the information)

Morning Plenary Session
From Research to Practice: Integrating Trauma Informed Responses to Elder Abuse,  Shelly L. Jackson, PhD, Consultant, Elder Justice initiative, US Department of Justice
 
Afternoon Plenary Session
Control, Connection and Meaning: Trauma Competent Care, Kim Kehl, Project Manager, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
 
Workshop One
Trauma-Informed Victim Services for Older Adults – PPT Handouts
 
Workshop Three
Understanding Domestic Violence in Later  Life & Supporting Victims with Trauma-Informed Responses – PPT Handouts

Workshop Four
Exploring Why Researching Trauma-Informed Responses Matter for Older Adults - PPT Handouts

Resources:

  • Anne P. DePrince & Shelly L. Jackson (2020) Moving the Field Forward: Elucidating the Nexus Between Elder Abuse and Trauma, Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 21:2,
    151-157, DOI: 10.1080/15299732.2020.1692404 – (Click here)
  • Practical Guide for Implementing a Trauma-Informed Approach (samhsa.gov)
  • Trauma-Informed Organizational Change Manual (2022). University of Buffalo School of Social Work. (order here)