(The Center Square) – As the number of senior adults increases in Pennsylvania, so too rises the number of elder abuse cases fielded by the state’s Area Agencies on Aging, or AAAs.
On Tuesday, the Department of Aging, which oversees them, announced a collaboration that would bring together multidisciplinary teams to handle those cases.
Though long-delayed, the department’s efforts will be supported by a more than $10 million investment in AAAs. The department’s funding has been lean, increasing by only 3% in the same time that the number of seniors increased by 22%.
Abuse among the aging population often comes at the hands of those entrusted to care for them, and often victims are unable to advocate for themselves. Physical and mental abuse are common, as is neglect exacerbated by increasing isolation among the elderly. Financial exploitation has become more complex alongside the advent of technologies that have born new types of fraud.
The multidisciplinary approach will allow professionals from both the social services and justice fields to work alongside health care providers and others to address incidents of abuse holistically. The department says it’s a model endorsed by the federal Department of Justice and employed in New York and California.
Indiana County is one of the five locations chosen to launch the program. There, Indiana County Aging Services executive director Janine Maust says cases have risen 55% in just five years. Her team will be working with Weill Cornell Medicine of Cornell University in New York to implement the new approach.
“We view this consultation as an essential step in supporting both the older adults we serve and the protective services workers responsible for reducing or eliminating risk,” said Maust. “This initiative will equip us with the tools and structure needed to bring partner agencies together, strengthen communication, and engage in more effective case discussions.”
Indiana County District Attorney said the decision to begin in Indiana County is a vote of confidence in their local task force. Other counties chosen are Bucks and Cumberland along with two additional “hubs” comprising Lehigh, Lancaster, and Berks counties; and Clearfield, Jefferson, Potter, Cameron, Elk, and McKean counties, respectively.
“We are doing groundbreaking collaborative work at the state level to ensure protection of older adults at the community level,” said Department of Aging Secretary Jason Kavulich. “One of our Administration’s priorities is to continuously advance and modernize our practices while supporting the AAAs, District Attorney’s Offices, and our community partners to ensure older adults are cared for and safe in their chosen community.”
