Press Releases
Montgomery County to Hold 8th Annual Senior Safety Forum in Recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day; Presentations, Resources, Exhibitors and More
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, June 5, 2018
On Thursday, June 14, Montgomery County will host its 8th annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Senior Safety Forum from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This year’s event will be held at the Holiday Park Senior Center at 3950 Ferrara Drive in Silver Spring. Seniors, their families, and others who care for seniors are invited to attend this free event to learn more about the benefits and services available in “Age-Friendly Montgomery County.”
The agenda includes speakers and exhibitors on topics including: the Red Flags of Abuse, senior driving safety, and Montgomery County resources for seniors. Sessions are planned to raise awareness of not only general senior safety from police and fire/rescue representatives; but also financial, home improvement, phone and internet scams that specifically target seniors.
Montgomery County elected officials, public safety and health and recreation officials will be in attendance. Representatives from the Montgomery County Elder/Vulnerable Adult Abuse Task Force will deliver the keynote address.
The forum also includes numerous door prizes, free bag lunches while supplies last, free blood pressure checks, personal mobile device tech assistance from the Recreation Department’s Tech Connect/Teen Works program, and live musical entertainment.
The Alliance on Aging provides a general definition of elder abuse: “Although each state has a different definition, elder abuse is a term referring to any knowing, intentional, unintentional or negligent act by any person that causes harm or a serious risk of harm to an older adult. This abuse manifests itself in many forms, including financial abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, neglect, and self-neglect and occurs both in the community and in facilities.”
Abuse of the elderly is a growing and increasingly-recognized concern both internationally and in Montgomery County, especially as baby boomers age and the number of senior citizens increases.
Recent research, reported by the Alliance on Aging and other senior service organizations, found that as many as one in ten older Americans and one in two people with dementia are victims of elder abuse. But, for every case reported there are approximately 23 that go unreported. Only one in 44 cases of financial abuse is reported.
The Senior Safety forum is hosted by County and public agencies that protect the County’s seniors: the Office of the State’s Attorney, Montgomery County Department of Police, Department of Health and Human Services, the Fire and Rescue Service, and the Office of the County Attorney. Contributing agencies include: the Ombudsman Program, Adult Protective Services, and Licensure and Regulatory Services. The Holiday Park Senior Center, Montgomery County Recreation Department, and the ElderSAFE Center, Charles E. Smith Life Communities, are event partners. Funding is provided in part by the Montgomery County Family Justice Center Foundation and EverSafe.
For information about County Senior Services go to: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/senior/index.html.
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Release ID: 18-585
Media Contact: Lucille Baur 240-777-6507