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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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Lisa Nerenberg: An Ecological Model of Elder Justice
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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Advocates Academy Toolkit Pages

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 Launches "Principles of Elder Justice" Awareness Snapshots
CEJC’s Steering Committee is delighted to release its new 4-minute video, Principles of Elder Justice, the latest in its Elder Justice Awareness Snapshots series. The principles, which guide CEJC’s work, highlight older adults’ rights and fairness in their access to protective and supportive services. See Awareness Snapshots.

CEJC Elder Justice Viewpoints Blog: An Ecological Model of Elder Justice
In the latest post to CEJC’s Elder Justice Viewpoints Blog, CEJC Executive Director Lisa Nerenberg describes policies and practices at the individual, interpersonal, community, and systemic levels for promoting elder justice. See An Ecological Model of Elder Justice.

CEJC Promotes Justice in MPA
CEJC’s Steering Committee is working with its partners on recommendations to ensure that the California’s Master Plan for Aging (MPA) highlights individual rights and social justice, including the right live free of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Toward that end, CEJC has prioritized four goals:

Provide a "No Wrong Door" approach for reporting elder and dependent adult abuse with the assurance that all cases are investigated and responded to.
All older adults have the opportunity to complete advanced directives to protect their autonomy and personal choices.
Assure that individuals with dementia and cognitive impairments have supports and representation in decision making and managing their care.
Sound policy that protects all aging Californians with particular focus on those who are at highest risk of homelessness, neglect, poverty, disability, and abuse.

For more on CEJC’s MPA priorities, go to Action Alert: CEJC Recommendations for California’s Master Plan for Aging.

Act Now/Weigh In

Still Time to Weigh in on MPA
California Advocates: Comments and recommendations are still being accepted for California’s Master Plan for Aging (MPA):

For updates on the plan
To view CEJC’s recommendations, go to CEJC's Recommendations for the MPA

National Advocates Academy

New! Webinar Recordings Available
In case you've missed any of our Advocates Academy webinars, you can listen to recordings of them here.
Be sure to view our most recent webinars:

Civil Remedies for Empowering Victims of Elder Financial Exploitation December 11, 2019
Improving Access to Aging Services with Community Health Workers (CHWs) November 26, 2019

CEJC Releases New Toolkits
CEJC is delighted to present its latest Advocates Academy Toolkits:

State Elder Justice Coalitions to Meet
The National Network of State Elder Justice Coalitions (NNSEJC) will host the Elder Justice Coalition Peer Group on March 26, 2020 at 5:30 p.m. during the American Society on Aging's annual conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Coalitions that are interested in participating are invited to contact NNSEJC.

News & Updates

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Visit our January/February 2020 News & Updates. Highlights include:

News & Updates

California News

Laws of Interest to Elder Justice Advocates Taking Effect on January 1, 2020

AB 567 (Calderon): Establishes the Long-Term Care Insurance Task Force to explore the development of a statewide long-term care insurance program and recommend options for implementing it to the Governor and Legislature by July 1, 2021.
AB 737 (Eggman): The California Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFEs) Act requires people seeking licenses for RCFEs to file applications with the Department of Social Services that include information about the owners.
AB 1118 (Rubio): Requires the Secretary of California Health and Human Services to consider applying for California to join the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities in developing the Master Plan for Aging.
AB 539 (Limón). Predatory lending law that caps the interest that can be charged on loans between $2,500 and $10,000.
Housing. The following bills address the affordable rent crisis that is particularly devastating to older adults:
- AB 1482 (Chiu): Rent control. Caps annual rent increases at 5% plus inflation and prohibits landlords from evicting tenants without just cause.
- AB 68 (Ting): Accessory dwelling units. Makes it cheaper and faster for Californians to build granny flats on their property.
- SB 329 (Mitchell): Housing voucher discrimination. Prohibits landlords from issuing blanket denials against low-income Californians who receive Section 8 vouchers.

State News (Other States)

NC Pilots Platform to Route Abuse Reports from Brokers/Dealers
Under a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, North Carolina has launched a pilot project to automatically route reports of financial exploitation from broker/dealer firms to the right agency, be it the Secretary of State’s Office, Adult Protective Services, or local law enforcement. The platform was designed to speed up communication between the financial industry and regulators and better protect older consumers.

National News

DOJ to Pursue Criminal False Claims Charges Against Nursing Homes
The Department of Justice has launched an initiative to pursue criminal charges in False Claims Act cases involving nursing homes. These cases are usually handled as civil matters (as opposed to criminal acts) and the companies involved in settlements are generally absolved of further liability and do not admit guilt. The proposed move would put criminal charges such as wire fraud and health care fraud on the table.

New Resources

Updated Protocol for Requesting Evidence from Financial Institutions
The National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) has released an updated version of the National Guidelines for Financial Institutions: Working Together to Protect Older Persons from Financial Abuse, which now includes guidelines for investment brokers and dealers. The protocol was produced with input from the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and the North American Securities Administrators Association (NAASA). Both the original and updated versions were produced with support from the Huguette Clark Foundation for Protection of Elders. See National Guidelines for Financial Institutions.

Money Mule Awareness Materials
Law enforcement agencies around the world are working together to combat money muling, (see DOJ Money Mules Initiative above). Europol has published a poster and flyer for 2019, available in six languages, with tips on how to avoid becoming a money mule.

Research & Reports

AIG Survey Reveals Americans' Attitudes About Elder Financial Abuse
A survey of 2,200 Americans conducted by the insurance company American International Group (AIG) explored respondents’ awareness about elder financial abuse, vulnerabilities, and attitudes about the government’s role in preventing it. Noteworthy findings include:

Only one in four older adults discusses their money with trusted family members. 47% of people 65 or older carry out various financial tasks, from paying bills to managing investments, entirely on their own.
66% of older adults and 84% of all adults do not have, or do not know if they have, durable powers of attorney in place.
31% of Americans aren’t aware of how to report elder financial.
More than half of seniors aren’t aware of prominent scams like pigeon drops, romance scams, scams involving purportedly legitimate invoices; and pre-paid credit or debit card scams.

The report also provided advice for older adults on how to avoid exploitation. For more, see AIG Survey.

Media Watch

Mainstream Media Focusing on Aging and Abuse
Mainstream media outlets are increasingly covering age and abuse-related stories. Recent examples include:

From Stria News (a subscription news service for the “longevity market”): What Is Trauma-Informed Care for Older Adults? In this July 15, 2019 article, reporter Larry Beresford describes applications of trauma-informed techniques used in health care. The concept of trauma informed practice comes from the field of psychiatry and asserts that past traumatic experiences, including childhood abuse and neglect, intimate partner violence, witnessing acts of violence or war, and living through natural disasters, can lead to post-traumatic stress reactions and impact health. While experts interviewed for the article acknowledge that healthcare providers aren’t expected to treat their patients’ past traumas, they note that interventions that are ‘informed’ by an understanding of those traumas are more likely to be successful.
From Bloomberg News: Trusted Professionals Target the Assets of America’s Elderly. This in-depth article by reporter Nick Lieber (October 21, 2019) focuses on abuse by lawyers, insurers, and financial advisors. The abuse includes selling older adults ill-advised annuities and reverse mortgages and false claims to help them secure public benefits.The article draws from governmental reports, interviews with victims and experts, and investigative reports. It cites CEJC Steering Committee member Shawna Reeves, director of elder abuse prevention at the Institute on Aging in San Francisco.
From Forbes: Elder Financial Abuse Training Rises To 90% Of Banks. This November 19, 2019 article by personal finance contributor Ted Knutson describes the findings of a report by the American Bankers Association, 2019 Older Americans Benchmarking Report: Findings from a Survey of Banks, which found that:
- Elder financial abuse training for front-line bank staff now takes place in 90% of banks, up from 71% two years ago
- Banks collaboration with local Adult Protective Services operations to protect seniors from financial abuse has climbed to 81% percent from 62% two years ago
- 62% of banks surveyed now have a designated employee in charge of elder financial abuse and fraud prevention
- 56% host community outreach and education events for older customers, up from 47% in 2017

Innovations

Solano County's Elder Justice League
Under a grant from the California Office of Emergency Services, the league trains “ambassadors” to work through churches, Rotary Clubs, apartment houses, and other settings to advise fellow community members on how to navigate the social and protective service systems. The idea behind the program is that older adults are more likely to talk to their peers about their concerns. The program conducts a swearing in and gives justice league members certificates that ease their access into community institutions.

Visit our January/February 2020 News & Updates for more, including:

California News