World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) 2026
Dear Colleagues,
The Elder Justice Initiative (EJI) joins the globe in commemorating World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. As we reflect on the past year, advances in elder justice have been observed on multiple fronts. SAFE Training has been (or is scheduled to be) provided to elder justice professionals in all 50 states, EJI released a report on the National Multidisciplinary Team Survey, and the first elder justice prosecutor survey in over 20 years was completed. EJI is committed to redoubling our elder justice activities in the coming year. These and other efforts are described below, each designed to advance the cause of elder justice for America’s older adults and those who serve them.
Andy Mao
National Elder Justice Coordinator
US Department of Justice
Assistant Attorney General Duva Participated in the Elder Justice Coordinating Council Meeting
On June 9, 2026, Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Criminal Division participated in the Elder Justice Coordinating Council meeting, where the Federal Elder Justice Action Plan was adopted, a government-wide strategy to protect older Americans’ rights, strengthen accountability, and make help easier to find. In his remarks, Assistant Attorney General Duva expressed his unwavering commitment to fighting elder fraud in the United States and abroad. Also at the meeting was a panel, moderated by Andy Mao, the Department’s National Elder Justice Coordinator, introducing the Never EVER campaign, a national public-private partnership campaign that advances the Action Plan’s prevention goals by helping people recognize and avoid government and business impersonation scams. View Assistant Attorney General Duva’s discussion of the Never EVER campaign and government impersonation scams.
WEAAD Webinar
June 11, 2026 11AM - 2PM EDT
Scams and fraud can have serious and lasting effects on older adults, affecting their finances, emotional well-being, and sense of security. In a 2025 report to Congress, the Federal Trade Commission estimated that, without accounting for underreporting, older adults lost up to $2.4 billion to fraud in 2024. This webinar will highlight underlying factors and communication strategies that support recovery, rebuild trust, and help reduce the risk of repeat victimization. This webinar is co-hosted by the National Center on Elder Abuse, U.S. Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative, National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life, and National District Attorneys Association.
Panelists
- Amy Nofziger, Director of Fraud Victim Support, AARP Fraud Watch Network
- Jennifer Lawrence, DSW, LICSW, Lead Social Worker, Romance Scam Recovery Group (RSRG), FightCyberCrime.org
- Miles McNeely, LCSW, Vice President, Elder Abuse Prevention, WISE & Healthy Aging
- Pete Staffell, Principal, Roll and Flow (Break the Spell Program)
- Older adult with lived experience
National Elder Justice Prosecutors Summit
October 14–15, 2026 | Washington, DC (Pending Funding Approval)
The Department of Justice Elder Justice Initiative and the Office for Victims of Crime will host the first National Elder Justice Prosecutors Summit, convening prosecutors from across the country to strengthen the investigation and prosecution of elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. This interactive Summit will bring prosecutors together to share experiences, discuss strategies, and collaborate on approaches to issues such as decision-making capacity, working with experts, victim participation challenges, cases involving trusted persons, and supporting victims of financial exploitation, including scams and financial abuse.
Financial SAFE (Safe Accessible Forensic Interviewing for Elders) Training
EJI has supported the provision of SAFE Training in all 50 states. SAFE Training is the first forensic interviewing training developed specifically for use with older victims. Based on feedback from the field, EJI is supporting Modell Consulting Group in developing forensic and investigative training specifically for financial exploitation (fraud and financial abuse), called Financial SAFE Training. This training will be available in Summer 2026.
Toolkit for Law Enforcement and Emergency Medical Services When Called to a Long-Term Care Facility
EJI supported the Consumer Voice to develop a series of eight short, engaging educational training videos and accompanying fact sheets informing and educating first responders about long-term care facilities and their residents. Each module touches on a different topic.
Considerations When Called to a Long-Term Care Facility
The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program: Advocates for Residents
Addressing Abuse Against Residents
Understanding and Protecting Residents' Rights
Resident Capacity and Decision-Making
Effective Communication with Residents
The Importance of Documentation and Reporting of Abuse and Neglect
National MDT Survey
In 2025, EJI’s Multidisciplinary Team Technical Assistance Center (MDT TAC) disseminated a national survey to MDTs across the country. Survey responses from 116 MDTs in rural, suburban and urban jurisdictions are summarized in the National Elder Abuse Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Survey Report: A Path Forward report. The feedback provided will help move MDTs from relationship-driven collaboration to a place where they are person-centered, measurable, and sustainable. The voices captured in the survey provide a roadmap to ensure that MDTs are equipped to meet the needs of older adults now and in the years ahead.
Updated EJI/COPS Office Law Enforcement Elder Justice Resource Guide
In May 2026, EJI and the COPS Office released an updated version of the Law Enforcement Elder Justice Resource Guide. The Guide features a variety of free on-demand training, resources to request live training, tools, where to find free elder abuse multidisciplinary team consultations, public outreach materials, and more. Please share this resource with your law enforcement colleagues.
Providing Help, Restoring Hope
If you, or someone you know, has been the victim of elder fraud, please contact the no-cost National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833–372–8311), Monday– Friday, 10:00 AM–6:00 PM EST where you can talk with an experienced professional.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Elder Justice Initiative is to support and to help coordinate the Department’s enforcement and programmatic efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect and financial fraud and scams that target our nation’s older adults.
Elder Justice Initiative | Department of Justice
Licensed material is being used for illustrative purposes only. Any person depicted in the licensed material is a model.