Skip to main content

This is archived content from the U.S. Department of Justice website. The information here may be outdated and links may no longer function. Please contact webmaster@usdoj.gov if you have any questions about the archive site.

Elder Justice Initiative Home

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

Elder Justice Initiative

Today, the Elder Justice Initiative joins millions around the globe in commemorating World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), a day intended to raise public awareness of the fight against elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. Research sponsored by the Department’s National Institute of Justice finds that millions of older adults experience some form of elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation every year, often by someone they love.  The harms resulting from mistreatment of older Americans drives our work every day.  Today, we are proud to announce six new resources to support the efforts of elder justice professionals.

President Biden's 2022 WEAAD Proclamation

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland's Statement on WEAAD

Guardianship Evaluation Worksheet for Judges

Probate judges are routinely required to make determinations regarding an individual’s capacity and where appropriate, to appoint a guardian to protect individuals who are unable to make decisions in their own behalf or are unable to manage their personal needs to support their welfare.  In making capacity determinations, judges rely on multiple sources of information.  To assist judges to integrate that information, the Elder Justice Initiative supported the University of Southern California in developing the Guardianship Evaluation Worksheet, a 2-page fillable and printable PDF that provides judges with an organizational framework of the relevant factors to consider in adjudicating guardianship cases.

Find the Judicial Guardianship Evaluation Worksheet and toolkit here.
Elder Abuse Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Coordinator Training

MDT coordinators fill a critical role on elder abuse MDTs, yet few educational resources exist to support their professional development. The MDT TAC is offering a no-cost,  2-day virtual training specifically for Elder Abuse MDT Coordinators.  In groups of approximately 10 – 15 Coordinators, fundamental Coordinator skill-building will be achieved through 10 educational modules that can be adapted to different needs and levels of experience.

Topics include:

  • The Role of the MDT Coordinator
  • Facilitation – An Essential Function
  • Building a Culture of Collaboration
  • Enhancing Team Engagement
  • Navigating Team Dynamics
  • Burnout and Self-Care, and more

Email Talitha.J.Guinn-Shaver@usdoj.gov for more information on when the training classes are being offered and how to register.

Elder Justice Decision-Making Symposium

The Elder Justice Initiative hosted the Elder Justice Decision-Making Capacity Symposium: The Role of Decision-Making Capacity in Elder Justice Cases that Reach Civil and Criminal Courts (April 19-21, 2022). The Symposium brought to light how older adults are profoundly and negatively impacted in both the criminal and civil justice systems based on mistaken assumptions and inadequate assessments of their capacity to make decisions for themselves.  Individual speakers and panel discussions highlighted what we know today about the aging brain and its impact on decision-making, as well as the protocols and tools available to assess decision-making capacity.  By shedding light on the latest science as well as best clinical, legal and judicial practices, the Symposium sought to increase access to justice while promoting the self-determination of older adults.

Symposium materials (session recordings, speaker biographies, and a Resource Guide) are available on the Symposium webpage.

Learn More
SAFTA (Senior Abuse Financial Tracking and Accounting)

Guided by the adage “A picture is worth a 1000 words”, the SAFTA toolkit provides law enforcement, APS workers, and other elder justice professionals, with a simplified forensic tool for illuminating suspicious financial patterns and facilitating the prosecution of suspected elder financial exploitation. Developed by a forensic accountant, the SAFTA tool is an Excel macro-enabled worksheet into which financial records are entered and pivot tables and graphs are automatically created to provide a visual depiction of financial data.

Download the SAFTA toolkit and learn more:
2 minute Video and SAFTA Flyer

SAFE (Safe Accessible Forensic Interviewing for Elders)

Developed to meet the growing need for victim-centered interview techniques for use with older adults in criminal contexts, SAFE is founded in forensic interviewing best practices with considerations and adaptations to account for age related declines in cognition, underlying neuropathology (e.g., dementia, Alzheimer’s), co-existing individual disability, mental health disorder, language capacity and cultural background. 

There are three versions available:

  1. a four-day advanced forensic interviewing certificate curriculum for established forensic interviewers;
  2. a two-day training for elder justice professionals who come into contact with alleged victims to more effectively communicate and/or interview these alleged victims;
  3. and a one-day training on elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation, and effective communication with older adults.

SAFE will be available on the Elder Justice Website

IC3 Financial Fraud Reporting Public Service Announcement (PSA)

EJI collaborated with the FBI’s IC3 program to develop a financial fraud PSA for the general public. This PSA encourages the public to file reports of internet-related financial fraud through the IC3 electronic reporting system, demonstrates how to file the report, and explains what types of fraud can be reported, including internet-related fraud targeting older Americans. The PSA stresses the urgency of filing reports quickly to increase opportunities to intervene.

Please share the free PSA with your constituents.