Local efforts include programs throughout the state

Delaware will join in the commemoration of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on Friday June 15, 2018 as the Department of Justice hosts a series of events in each county.

Focused around the theme “S.A.V.E. – Stop Abuse of the Vulnerable and Elderly,” the events are designed to bring greater recognition of ways in which older adults are exploited, and to highlight various state and other resources available to older adults, victims and their families.

Today, more than ever, telemarketers, fraudsters, and even their own family members target older adults. The National Council on Aging has referred to scamming older adults as “the crime of the 21st century.” While many perceive it to be a crime committed by scammers and strangers, 90% of reported elder abuse is committed by a person’s own family members, according to the National Council on Aging.

The events, sponsored by the Delaware Department of Justice’s Senior Protection Initiative, will all take place on Friday, June 15, 2018 at these locations and times:

Brandywine Senior Center
3301 Green St. in the Claymont Bldg.
Claymont, DE 19703
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Siegel JCC
101 Garden of Eden Road
Wilmington, DE 19810
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Carvel State Office Building
820 N. French St.
Wilmington, DE 19801
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Newark Senior Center
200 Whitechapel Dr.
Newark, DE 19713
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

MOT Senior Center
300 S Scott St.
Middletown, DE 19709
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Mamie Warren Senior Center
1775 Wheatleys Pond Rd.
Smyrna, DE 19977
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Modern Maturity Center
1121 Forrest Ave.
Dover, DE 19904
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Milford Senior Center
111 Park Ave.
Milford, DE 19963
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Lewes Senior Center
32083 Janice Rd.
Lewes, DE 19958
9:00 a.m. – 12;00 p.m.

Long Neck CHEER Center
26089 Long Neck Rd.
Millsboro, DE 19966
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Ocean View CHEER Center
30637 Cedar Neck Rd.
Ocean View, DE 19970
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Visit one of these locations on June 15, 2018 to get your “STOP Elder Abuse” ribbon, pick up valuable resources, and learn about services available to older Delawareans.

The Senior Protection Initiative is a Delaware Department of Justice outreach effort committed to the prevention of elder abuse, financial exploitation, and financial scams. For every known case of abuse, about 23 remain hidden. Older adults often do not report being victimized out of fear, a desire to protect the abuser, social isolation, embarrassment, and/or an inability to report.

Elder abuse can be financial, emotional, physical and sexual. It also includes people who are neglected and those who neglect themselves. The consequences of elder abuse are grave: older adults who are abused are twice as likely to be hospitalized, four times as likely to go into nursing homes, and three times as likely to prematurely die according to the National Center on Elder Abuse.

Established by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations in 2006, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day serves as a call-to-action for individuals, organizations, and communities to raise awareness about abuse, neglect, and exploitation of elders.

The Delaware Department of Justice Consumer Protection Unit has been selected as one of 8 jurisdictions around the country to host a training for law enforcement on preventing, investigating and prosecuting financial exploitation of senior citizens.

The training, put on by the National White Collar Crime Center and the United States Department of Justice, will allow for 100 area law enforcement officers to learn effective ways to respond to complex elder fraud cases. The training is expected to be held in Wilmington in April 2018.

“A primary goal of the Delaware Department of Justice is to protect Delawareans from harm, and seniors are one of our most valuable yet most vulnerable populations,” said Attorney General Matt Denn. “Those who prey on the elderly need to be caught and punished for their crimes, so I’m honored and proud that we have been selected to provide local law enforcement with this opportunity. I want to thank and congratulate Deputy Attorney General Gina Schoenberg, head of our office’s Senior Protection Initiative, and Chief Special Investigator Alan Rachko for their work on the application and identifying the proper mix of officers to participate.”

In addition to Delaware, other jurisdictions selected by USDOJ for the training are: Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota; Denmark, Tennessee; Topeka, Kansas; Hidalgo County, Texas; Columbia, South Carolina; Ada, Oklahoma; and King County, Washington.

National studies conclude that nearly 10 percent of older Americans have experienced some form of financial exploitation or fraud in the past year at a financial loss estimated in the billions of dollars, with some experts asserting that financial exploitation is the most common form of elder abuse.

Local efforts include programs throughout the state

WILMINGTON, DE – The Delaware Department of Justice is commemorating World Elder Abuse Awareness Day by hosting a series of panel discussions in each county.

Based on the theme “Stop Abuse of the Vulnerable and Elderly (S.A.V.E.)” the events are designed to bring greater recognition of mistreatment of older adults and highlight the resources available to victims and their families.

The events will include panel discussions on elder abuse and senior protection issues, and consist of various professionals with knowledge in Adult Protective Services, Health Care, Financial Exploitation & Scams, and Law Enforcement.

The discussions, sponsored by the Delaware Department of Justice’s Senior Protection Initiative, will all take place on Monday, June 15, 2015, at the following times and locations:

Sacred Heart Village
Lower Level
920 N. Madison Street
Wilmington, DE 19801
10:00AM

Newark Senior Center
Evergreen Banquet Room
200 White Chapel Drive
Newark, DE 19713
11:00AM

Modern Maturity Center
Main Dining Room
1121 Forrest Avenue, Dover, DE 19904
11:00AM

CHEER Community Center
20520 Sandhill Road
Georgetown, DE 19947
10:00AM

Every year an estimated 5 million, or 1 in 10, older Americans who live at home are victims of elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation. And that’s only part of the picture: For every 1 case of elder abuse that comes to light, another 23 remain hidden.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day serves as a call-to-action for individuals, organizations, and communities to raise awareness about abuse, neglect, and exploitation of elders. The International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations launched the first World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) on June 15, 2006 in an effort to unite communities around the world in raising awareness about elder abuse. WEAAD is in support of the UN’s International Plan of Action acknowledging the significance of elder abuse as a public health and human rights issue.