The Ohio Attorney General’s annual Elder Abuse Awareness Day Conference hit the road in 2024, with Dave Yost’s office partnering with Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers and her staff to host the conference at the Sharonville Convention Center in the Greater Cincinnati area.
The June 26 event, “Dollars and Sense: Financial Exploitation of Older Adults,” focused on how to protect what older Ohioans worked their whole lives to build. The daylong conference brought together more than 150 professionals from across disciplines who work to protect and educate and safeguard our state’s older residents.
During the opening session, AG Yost shared a powerful message of gratitude with advocates and others in attendance – all of whom work so tirelessly to do their part.
“You answer the call to weed through fact and fiction to save the vulnerable,” Yost told them. “You are heroes to these people, and to me.”
The conference – put on by the Attorney General’s Elder Abuse Commission, with sponsorship this year from the Ohio Coalition of Adult Protective Services – included general sessions focusing on successful community outreach and case studies from prosecutors. Workshops held throughout the day ranged in subject matter from how to protect those in long-term-care facilities to how cognitive impairments make senior citizens vulnerable to financial crimes.
Prosecutor Powers and Chief Assistant Prosecutor Matthew Broo presented the morning plenary session, laying out for attendees the important work of their office’s own Elder Justice Unit and speaking directly about how to do effective community outreach to the at-risk population of seniors.
An afternoon plenary session featured Page Ulrey, the senior deputy prosecutor attorney from the King County Prosecutor’s Office in the state of Washington. She walked attendees through a successful case prosecution. She also led a discussion on pitfalls in such cases and how to best protect the older adults that professionals serve.
Yost, in his remarks, emphasized why such work matters.
“Our elders are treasures,” he said. “They provide us with history, fill in our blanks, and impart wisdom from lives long-lived. But these folks too often become victims, losing their sense of security, their dignity, and often even their homes. Thankfully, that’s where you all come in.”
He shared a poignant story about a 73-year-old military veteran who reached out this year to his office’s Elder Justice Unit. The man was ill, his wife was in a nursing home, and he was being exploited by a relative. The Elder Justice Unit, the advocacy group ProSeniors and local law enforcement intervened, and the veteran’s relative is now facing two felony charges of theft.
The Attorney General reinforced the need for awareness and timely reporting in the fight against financial exploitation.
“Awareness is key to solving the problem,” he said. “There should be no shame in being ripped off; it happens. But failure to report it gives the bad guys a better chance of getting away with it.”
Earlier this year, with support from the General Assembly, Yost created a Cyber Crimes Unit within the Bureau of Criminal Investigation to address the growing problems of cyber and financial crimes. The team, which is made up of specialists in cyber/crypto and financial crime, has already logged some notable successes, including helping to recover $17,619 for a 73-year-old woman who fell victim to a Bitcoin scam.
“The takeaway message is simple,” the Attorney General said. “Report the crime. There are people who can help.”
For assistance, training or more information about elder justice issues or to support a victim of abuse, neglect or financial exploitation, contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at 800-282-0515.
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)
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: