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
Who We Are
CEJC is a multidisciplinary membership organization providing a voice from the field in elder justice policy and practice. We promote the rights of older adults, including protection against age-based discrimination and elder abuse, and equitable access to resources, health care, and the legal system by those in greatest need. Our programs include: Nat'l Elder Justice Advocates Academy The Academy provides advocates with information, updates, promising practices, webinars, toolkits, and opportunities to join in the national dialogue on elder justice. Senior Medicare Patrol CEJC partners with the California Senior Medicare Patrol to inform professionals, advocates, and the public about how Medicare fraud harms seniors, caregivers, and the public, and what they can do. |
Policy
CEJC advocates for policy reform, raises awareness about elder justice developments, creates opportunities for exchange among advocates and policy makers, and provides consultation, training, and technical assistance. Our work reflects our Principles of Elder Justice handout and video. CEJC Weighs in on State Aging Plan CEJC's recommendations for the Older Americans Act State Plan include:
For other recommendations, go to CDA OAA |
Learn
Our educational materials focus on leading edge issues in elder justice with the aim of fostering new ideas and innovations. They include:
In Case You Missed It:
Recordings of our recent webinars are now available: May 19th: Telling Your Story to the Media: A Conversation with Elder Abuse Expert Shawna Reeves and Journalist Nick Leiber April 28th: A Conversation on Applying Restorative Justice to Elder Abuse March 30th: Absent Authority: Making Conservatorship a Positive Tool of Transformation |
News & Updates |
To view the full current News & Updates and to subscribe to News & Updates emails, visit News & Updates May/June 2021.
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National News
Federal COVID Relief Includes Elder Justice Programs The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, signed into law on March 11, offered substantial support for elder justice programs, including: $276 million for the Elder Justice Act (by contrast, only $58 million total has been appropriated over the last 10 years); $450 million for nursing home care improvements; $10 million for long-term care ombudsman programs; and $1.434 billion in funding under the section on aging and disability services for Older Americans Act programs. See American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Senate Finance Comm Focuses on Nursing Home COVID-19 Failures On March 17, the Senate Finance Committee hosted the hearing A National Tragedy: COVID-19 in the Nation’s Nursing Homes, which focused on the conditions of workers in facilities, citing low pay and poor working conditions as being to blame for high rates of COVID-19. Chairman Ron Wyden pointed out that the problem was not partisan. “ If you look at the 10 states where nursing homes have been hit the hardest, it’s five Republican-led states and five Democratic-led states. See hearing. Congress Moves to Prevent VOCA Funding Cuts The recently introduced “VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act of 2021” is a bicameral, bipartisan bill to prevent cuts to already diminished Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants to states. The funds are used for compensation and services for millions of crime victims. In California, the funds are used for domestic violence shelters, hotlines, elder abuse multidisciplinary teams, legal services, and victim support groups. VOCA funds do not come from taxpayer dollars but from monetary penalties associated with federal criminal convictions, primarily for white collar crimes. The funds go into the Crime Victims Fund (CVF), which fluctuates based on the cases that the Department of Justice successfully prosecutes. The funds are currently at an historic low due in part to an increased use of deferred prosecution and non-prosecution agreements. The penalties associated with these agreements are deposited into the General Treasury instead of the CVF. The proposed “fix” would transfer them back into the CVF. The “VOCA Fix Act” came in response to an effort spearheaded by leading victim advocacy organizations, which sent this letter, signed by more than 1,680 organizations and government agencies, to Congress. The group also produced a toolkit for advocates. |
California News
CDA Plans EJ Coordinating Council Planning has begun for California’s version of the federal Elder Justice Coordinating Council, which was created under the Elder Justice Act of 2010. Like its national counterpart, the state council will comprise key state departments within government that have a role to play in elder justice and abuse prevention. CEJC called for the Council in its From Blueprint to Benchmarks: Building a Framework for Elder Justice and in recommendations for California’s Master Plan for Aging. CEJC and Justice in Aging are assisting in planning the launch. Cal Launches Consumer Financial Protection Agency California’s Consumer Financial Protection Law (CCFPL), which took effect Jan. 1, 2021, creates the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, replacing the former Department of Business Oversight. The agency will have authority to regulate previously unregulated financial products and services and review all claims of unlawful, unfair, deceptive, or abusive practices. The new organization is asking for advocates’ help in raising awareness and has created a social media kit for doing so. Graphics and social media copy are available at CCFPL on their website at CCFPL. California APS Abuse Reports and Funding During a March 2021 Assembly Budget Subcommittee #1 hearing, California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Director Kim Johnson provided a report on APS, which including the number of reports received and responded to in Fiscal Year 2019-20:
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State News (Other States)
Ohio AG, Alzheimer’s Assoc to Combat Scams Targeting People with Dementia The Ohio Attorney General's Office is teaming up with the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Cincinnati Chapter to stop scammers from targeting people in the early stages of dementia. The initiative encourages family members to look out for indicators and directs those with concerns to a helpline. See Scams and Dementia.
NNSEJC Welcomes its Newest Member Pennsylvania’s Advisory Council on Elder Justice in the Courts is NNSEJC's newest member. The Council was established in 2015 to assist the state’s Office of Elder Justice in the Courts ) implement best practices, judicial rules, and legislation. The 2019 Progress Report details the group’s work since its inception. Welcome! Anna Thomas joins NNSEJC Steering Committee NNSEJC's steering Commitee is delighted to announce a new member: Anna Thomas, of the Georgia Statewide Elder Justice Initiative. Anna is a Forensic Specialist in the Forensic Special Initiatives Unit of the Georgia Department of Human Services and a member of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Crimes Against Disabled Adults and Elderly Task Force. Upcoming Meetings The next NNSEJC Membership meeting is on June 10, 2021. For more information, contact NSEJC@gmail.com. NNSEJC was formed in 2018 to build capacity at the state and national levels by sharing information, resources, and expertise. For more information and updates, see NNSEJC. |
New Resources
Ensuring Equity in Aging Webinar Series Available Online In case you’ve missed any of the webinars in this California Department of Aging hosted series, they are now available on CDA’s online Equity Resource Center. The series focuses on the impacts of cultural strengths as well as historic, systemic discrimination on older Californians and showcases programs that promote equity and cultural responsiveness. How to Reframe Elder Abuse on Social Media A recording of How to Reframe Elder Abuse on Social Media, a webinar produced by NCEA in collaboration with Elder Abuse Ontario, proposes strategies for raising awareness based on principles developed by Frameworks, a social media communications firm. |
Research & Reports
Initial Eval of Elder Justice Shelter Model The RAND Corporation's initial evaluation of the Weinberg Center for Elder Justice’s shelter program suggests that the model can be a scalable, replicable, and cost-efficient for elder abuse victims. See Evaluation of Elder Justice Shelter. Report Reveals Staggering Rate of Nursing Home Employee Turnover The new study High Nursing Staff Turnover In Nursing Homes Offers Important Quality Information looks at the turnover rates in 15,645 nursing homes across the country (which accounts for nearly all facilities certified by the federal government). UCLA and Harvard researchers found the average annual rate was 128%, with some facilities experiencing turnover that exceeded 300%. Turnover was higher at for-profit institutions, chains, and those serving Medicaid beneficiaries. The authors suggest adding turnover rates to Medicare’s star-rating system and increasing Medicare and Medicaid rates for homes with lower turnover. |