Senior Wellness Council of Clarion County Hosts Elder Justice Day on May 8

Ron Wilshire

Ron Wilshire

Published May 4, 2015 4:35 am
Image

CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — The Senior Wellness Council of Clarion County offers a unique look at the legal world for senior citizens on Friday, May 8, in an effort to keep them informed about their legal options and protect them against financial exploitation.

Legal issues and prevention of fraud involving senior citizens is all part of Elder Justice Day on Friday, May 8. 

Organized by the Senior Wellness Council and sponsored by the Clarion Area Agency on Aging, Clarview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, WRC Senior Services, and Clarion Forest VNA, Inc., the sessions will be held at the Zion Church in Reidsburg from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

“The Senior Wellness Council started about eight years ago, and this will be our 15th event,” said Mindy Gatesman, Council President.  “A lot of what we’ve seen over the years is the need for education and the need for our seniors to be informed and protect themselves.  We have had programs on fraud prevention, identity theft prevention, and so forth in the past, but there’s also an Elder Justice Task Force in Clarion County and a directive through the Pennsylvania Department of Aging that we hold an Elder Justice Day.  The task force approached the Senior Wellness Council to join forces to provide this to all the people who attend the event. We usually have about 250 attendees, and it is registration only because our space is limited.”

Pre-registrations can be made by calling 814-226-9000 between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Three legal experts will provide background on issues relating to elder justice.

“Financial Exploitation and Fraud” is the first topic of the day and will be presented by Linda Mill, a certified fraud examiner from the Institute on Protective Services at Temple University.

Drew Welsh, Clarion County First Assistant District Attorney, will follow with a presentation “Criminal Justice and the Elderly.”

Judge James G. Arner will follow with a session on “Guardianship and the Courts.”

Karen Reddick, Supervisor of Protective Services for the Clarion Area Agency on Aging, described the agency’s job is to investigate any reported abuse of older adults and eliminate them.

“Most of the types of abuse reported are physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect by a caregiver, self-neglect, and financial exploitation,” said Reddick.  “The most common that is reported is self-neglect, but a close second is financial exploitation, which is what seems to be most common in Clarion County right now.  We get quite a few reports of that.”

Reports of an abuse from clients are increasing this year and will likely double over last year’s, rising to about 100 cases, according to Reddick.

Toni Forsythe, Protective Services Investigator for the Clarion Area Agency on Aging, recently won a state award for her efforts in stopping financial abuse involved with a lottery scam.

“I do most of the investigations in the agency, no matter what they are, ” said Forsythe. “Investigations can involve theft by power of attorney, guardians, and scams.  Anybody that has access to his or her money or who can get access to his or her money can all be responsible.  We’ve had people of all kinds stealing money from our seniors.”

If an investigation suggests prosecution is needed, Forysythe shares her information with the Clarion County District Attorney’s office and police.

Reddick emphasizes that protective services are not forced on someone and a review process is necessary.

“An elder has to agree — if they have the capacity to do that — and they understand the circumstances that they are in,” said Reddick.  “When Toni goes out to start an investigation, the first thing that she is going to do is assess that older adult for capacity — mental capacity, physical capacity — to understand their circumstances and what will eventually happen to them if they do not get help. If they can understand everything that is happening to them and if they’re okay with it, they’re allowed to make those choice.  However, if we find the person cannot make an informed decision and does not understand that if they do not get medical treatment because they’ve been sitting on their couch for five days and nobody has come to help them — if they think that is fine — we know that is not, and they’re eventually going to be in dire straits and need medical attention.  If it comes to that, we can seek legal action to ensure they get safety.”

The Clarion Area Agency on Agency provides serves to people who are 60 years and over.

Recent Articles

Community Partner