Wolf Administration Participates in Symposium on the Prevention of Crimes Against Older Adults

​Newtown, PA – Today, Pennsylvania Department of Aging Secretary Teresa Osborne attended and spoke at the 15^th Annual William J. Neff Sr. Symposium on the Prevention of Crimes Against Older Adults.

“Key national associations, including the National Adult Protective Services Association, have endorsed multidisciplinary teams as a way to more effectively address elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, and the Bucks County Crimes Against Older Adults Task Force serves as a powerful response to elder abuse and is leading to better outcomes for victims,” said Secretary Osborne.

Community leaders, healthcare professionals, service providers, police, EMTs, and banking professionals were all in attendance to learn how to best help review, investigate, prosecute, and prevent crimes against seniors. This year’s symposium focused on the rules, regulations, and reporting requirements that are in place and which are mandatory for many professionals working with and caring for older adults. Abuse prevention, investigative strategies in abuse cases, financial exploitation, ethics, cultural competency, and services available to victims of elder abuse were also discussed throughout the symposium.

The Annual William J. Neff Sr. Symposium on the Prevention of Crimes Against Older Adults was established in 2003 by the Bucks County Crimes Against Older Adults Task Force after several of William Neff’s healthcare providers were convicted of criminal offenses stemming from his death in 2000. William Neff was 83 and battling Alzheimer’s at a local personal care home when he died from an incident resulting in five broken ribs and a punctured lung.

“The Wolf Administration is committed to working with Pennsylvania’s network of Area Agencies on Aging, along with local task forces, such as the one established in Bucks County, in order to uphold its responsibilities under the Older Adults Protective Services Act, which is victim oriented and safeguards the rights of older adults,” said Secretary Osborne.  “The battle against elder abuse can only be won with grassroots action at the community and individual levels, working together to ensure that the public knows much more about what elder abuse is and how it can and must be prevented.”

Anyone can report elder abuse by calling the 24-hour statewide elder abuse hotline at 1-800-490-8505, or by contacting their local Area Agency on Aging. Pennsylvania law protects those who report suspected abuse from retaliation and civil or criminal liability; all calls are free and confidential.

To learn more about the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, visit aging.pa.gov.