The Area Agency on Aging District 7, Inc. and Southern Ohio Medical Center
Sponsored an Elders Abuse Conference,
“Protecting Elders From Harm: Working Collaboratively on a Difficult Case”

Participating in this conference from left to right: Randy Thomas, Keynote, Law Enforcement Instructor, South Carolina Department of Public Safety; Deputy Jim Larter, Scioto County Sheriff’s Department; Lynn Grimshaw, Scioto County Prosecutor; Deputy Detillion, Ross County Sheriff’s Department; Vicki Daily, Director of RSVP; Dave Fowler, Firstar Bank; Kaye Elswick, Area Agency on Aging District 7’s Ombudsman Program Director; Deputy Dale Gillette, Ross County Sheriff’s Department; David Kessler, Chief Investigator, Ohio Attorney General’s Office; and Pamela K. Matura, Executive Director of the Area Agency on Aging District 7, Inc.

On April 17, 2002, The Area Agency on Aging District 7, Inc. and Southern Ohio Medical Center sponsored an elder abuse conference, “Protecting Elders From Harm: Working Collaboratively on a Difficult Case” at the Friends Community Center in Portsmouth. The event, one of the first of its kind in the state of Ohio, was co-sponsored by the Mead Corporation, United States Enrichment Corporation, and Firstar Bank of Portsmouth. Over one- hundred and fifty professionals attended the one-day conference intended to educate southern Ohio law enforcement, social service agencies, adult protective services, and banking communities about elder mistreatment and the importance of collaboration across the diverse disciplines. The keynote speaker, Randy Thomas from the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, encouraged the diverse audience to work collaboratively in a coordinated community response to effectively investigate and prosecute cases of elder abuse. David Kessler, Chief Investigator for the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, alerted participants to the latest scams and frauds committed against ‘the elderly. Officers Rick Garinger and Tim Coons with the Cuyahoga Falls Police Department educated the audience about C.H.E.C.K.S., “Citizens Helping Elder Citizens Keep Savings,” a community-based program with representatives from law enforcement, social services agencies, and financial institutions whose primary goal is to prevent financial exploitation of older adults. Deputy Dale Gillette with the Ross County Sheriff’s Department, closed the day by reviewing local cases of elder abuse and discussing TRIAD, a program that promotes seniors and law enforcement working in partnership to reduce crime against older adults. For more information about elder abuse, neglect, and/or financial exploitation, contact the Area Agency on Aging District 7, Inc. at 1-800-582-7277.