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Protecting the rights, independence, and safety of older people by exploring barriers, sharing information and ideas, and providing a voice from the field to policy makers

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Charles Sabatino: Calling for a U.N. Convention on the Rights of Older People
John Dussich on Restorative Justice and Elder Abuse: A Promising Match?
Georgia Anetzberger on How Not to Be a Victim: Remembering Jenny

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Opioids and Older Adults
Undue Influence
Raising Awareness
Elder Homelessness
Financial Crime
Check out our Awareness Snapshots page for video presentations on Investment Scams, Supported Decision Making, and more coming soon.

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CEJC News

CEJC Sets Goals for State Master Plan for Aging
Governor Newsom’s Executive Order to develop a California Master Plan for Aging provides new opportunities for CEJC to promote its Principles of Elder Justice. The plan, according to Newsom, will serve as a blueprint for the state and local governments, the private sector, and philanthropists to “build ‘an age-friendly state so that all Californians can age with dignity and independence.” CEJC’s Steering Committee, in consultation with its partners, is recommending the following goals..... See September/October 2019 News and Updates for more.

CEJC Vice Chair Donna Benton Appointed as Master Plan Advisor
CEJC is delighted to announce that its Vice Chair, Donna Benton, has been appointed to serve on the Stakeholder Advisory Committee for the Master Plan. Donna is a Research Associate Professor at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. The Committee will help to develop components of the plan.

Act Now/Weigh In

ACL Seeking Stakeholder Input on EJCC
The Administration for Community Living is soliciting input from stakeholders about future activities they would like to see the Elder Justice Coordinating Council (EJCC) undertake. The EJCC coordinates federal activities related to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Comments can be submitted electronically to ejcc@acl.hhs.gov with “Thoughts and Ideas” in the subject line through September 30, 2019. For more, go to EJCC Comments.

National Advocates Academy

Webinar Recording Now Available
In case you missed our July 23 webinar: Reforming Adult Guardianship Through Working Interdisciplinary Networks of Guardianship Stakeholders (WINGS), a recording is now available on the Past Webinar Recordings page.

First Meeting of State Elder Justice Coalitions
Following the Advocates Academy's 2018 ASA panel presentation and follow-up webinar "Building an Elder Justice Movement State by State," the panelists began meeting to explore the need for an ongoing network to foster collaboration and information sharing. The result is the newly formed National Network of State Elder Justice Coalitions (NNSEJC). The group met for the first time on July 24. To learn more, visit NNSEJC.

News & Updates

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News & Updates

California News

Californians Rank Abuse Prevention Top Priority for Master Plan
A poll that asked 1000 California voters to weigh in on the Master Plan revealed that an overwhelming majority (76.2%) support the plan, with seven in ten saying that the state should be held accountable for investing in and implementing it. When asked their priorities, 73.6% identified elder abuse prevention as a top priority, with 34% ranking it first, more than any other single issue. For more on the study, see Findings.

National News

Photo by Bill Oxford on Unsplash

CMS Final Rule on SNF Arbitration Agreements
As describe in CEJC’s “Under the Radar: Developments We’re Watching, nursing homes often prevent residents from pursuing lawsuits against them for neglect, abuse, wrongful eviction, and death by pressuring them into signing arbitration agreements upon admission. Residents typically feel pressured to sign the agreements, essentially waiving their right to hold the homes accountable. In fall 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) issued a new rule barring federally funded homes from requiring residents to sign agreements. Under the current administration, however, CMS proposed a new rule to roll back the ban and allow (or even require) nursing homes to require residents to sign the agreements. In July, 2019 CMS issued a final arbitration rule that repeals the prohibition against the agreements. It prohibits the use of agreements as a condition of admission to, or as a requirement for, residents to receive care at the facility and requires facilities to explicitly inform residents or their representatives of the right not to sign the agreements, thereby eliminating pressure for them to do so. It also establishes a 30-day right of rescission of the agreements by residents or their representatives. According to Charles Sabatino of the American Bar Association, “the final rule now puts a responsibility on all our shoulders: We must educate residents, their families, and the public more emphatically about these agreements and advise them not to sign these at admission or at any time…”

Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash

House Judiciary Committee Introduces Guardianship Bill
HR 4174, introduced in the House Judiciary Committee on August 6, seeks to achieve greater oversight and accountability by guardians by: requiring the Elder Justice Coordinating Council to create a National Online Resource Center on Guardianship; authorizing grants to develop State Guardianship Databases; and establishing procedures for sharing background check information on guardians with other jurisdictions. The bill estimates that 1,300,000 adults and approximately $50,000,000,000 in assets are under the care of guardians in the United States. It further acknowledges that while most guardians are dedicated individuals who play an important role in safeguarding individuals in need of support, “there are often few safeguards in place to protect against individuals who choose to abuse the system and few states are able to report accurate or detailed guardianship data. The bill further encourages states to enact statutes, including the Uniform Guardianship, Conservatorship, and Other Protective Arrangements Act, to ensure better protections and controls. The bill mirrors the Guardianship Accountability Act, which is pending in the Senate.

New Resources

In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS): A Guide for Advocates
This comprehensive guide produced by Justice in Aging, addresses issues ranging from services provided by IHSS, to program eligibility, appeals and hearings, and background checks on workers. See In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS): A Guide for Advocates.

Research & Reports

California Future Health Workforce Commission Prioritizes Older Adults
The California Future Health Workforce Commission, which is chaired by University of California president Janet Napolitano, has issued its final report Meeting the Demand for Health: Final Report of the California Future Health Workforce Commission. The Commission, which includes state leaders in health, education, employment, labor, and government, concludes that the looming crisis in the healthcare labor force will be most acute in primary care, behavioral health, and among workers who care for older adults.

Visit our September/October 2019 News & Updates for more, including:

California News