What was thought might be several months turned into a year-long period of no visitors for people living in long-term care facilities. Residents were on their own. Now that visitors, Long-Term Care Ombudsman, and surveyors are back inside long-term care facilities, what are they finding? This session will cover the types of abuse and neglect being discovered and what can be done to advocate on behalf of better care for these frail individuals. This open conversation will look at the benefits of resident and family councils and continued training for staff and residents regarding their right to quality of life and care.

This one-hour, interactive session will examine introductory concepts in trauma and resilience and explore these concepts at the individual and organizational levels. Using current research, the session will introduce different types of trauma, core principles of trauma-informed care, trauma and ageism, and a holistic approach to resilience and personal well-being. Participants will consider frameworks and strategies for assessing current practice and planning their next steps toward building a trauma-informed culture. Participants should bring to the session: curiosity, a desire share and discuss, and a copy of their organizational mission, values, and vision statements

Tracey Gendron, PhD, is an associate professor and Chair of the Department of Gerontology at Virginia Commonwealth University (https://gerontology.chp.vcu.edu/). Dr. Gendron has a Master of Science in Gerontology, a Master of Science in Psychology, and a doctorate in Developmental Psychology. Her research is focused on the language, expression, and perpetuation of ageism and aging anxiety as well as on elderhood as a stage of development. Her personal and professional goal is to understand, raise awareness of, and disrupt the deeply embedded, normalized, and invisible ageism that is within us all.

Gigi Amateau is Director of Research and Evaluation with Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Gerontology, where she is also an adjunct instructor and trainer on topics such as social connection, trauma and resilience, and person-centered care. She holds her Master of Science in Gerontology from VCU and is a doctoral student in VCU’s Health Related Science program, with expected graduation in May 2021. She has worked in Richmond, Virginia’s non-profit community for thirty years serving people with HIV/AIDS, people experiencing homelessness, older adults, and people with disabilities. She is a RYT-200 yoga instructor and a children’s book author. Gigi lives in the city of Richmond, Virginia with her family. Her research interests include person-centered trauma-informed care, social connection, narrative practices, resilience across the lifespan, and the direct care workforce.

This session builds on the organizing principle that the family is the basic unit of society – and that society, in turn, must recognize and support family caregivers. The federal government has recognized this critical role of caregivers through its RAISE Family Caregivers Advisory Council, through the National Family Caregiver Support Program, the VA Caregiver Support Program, and through the use of Medicaid’s home- and community-based services waivers to provide self-directed care through a family caregiver. The global community has begun to recognize the role of caregivers, with global convenings by the World Dementia Council, the Global Coalition on Aging, and the International Alliance of Carer Organizations, among others. Now is the perfect opportunity for individual states to take leadership – within the ecosystem of federal and global efforts – to continue to build momentum for caregiver supports. We believe that caregiving is core to the nation’s public health, and that states can learn from each other how best to support the diverse and dynamic population of more than 53 million family caregivers of people across the lifespan.

The marked increase in life expectancy over the last century, especially in richer countries, means growing numbers of people will develop dementia. The OECD estimates that by 2030 the number of dementia cases will increase by 50 percent in rich countries and 80 percent in poorer ones.

Considerable research attests to the violence and abuse directed at people suffering from dementia. Much less research documents the commission of severe violence and abuse by people with dementia. This session reports findings from eleven publicly available UK domestic homicide reviews in which husbands suffering from dementia killed their wives. In three of the eleven cases the perpetrator committed suicide in the immediate aftermath of the homicide. In one case, he took his own life three months later. Using these detailed case studies, Dr. Websdale reports baseline qualitative data on the complex relationships among histories of intimate partner violence and abuse (IPV/A), mental illness, and dementia. The aim is to describe the micro-dynamics of dementia cases culminating in homicide where IPV/A and mental illness co-occurred or were suspected of co-occurring. It is hoped such baseline knowledge will inform service delivery and the development of experimental and quasi-experimental studies that might improve risk assessment and management.

This session will discuss the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office for Civil Rights jurisdiction and compliance activities under the Age Discrimination Act, Title II of the ADA, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1964 as it pertains to protecting against age and disability discrimination during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, and improving access to care for people with disabilities and older adults.

Northern Arizona Council of Governments-Area Agency on Aging (NACOG-AAA) elaborates on the importance of Resident Councils and describes its plans and efforts at restoring and expanding Resident Councils as we emerge in a new COVID affected reality. We will also examine new innovations in technology that have emerged as a result of the pandemic, including the new PadBot Virtual Ombudsman Pilot Project. Finally, we will discuss the value in having a wide variety of perspectives within your ombudsman program and look at how the current make up of our team lends itself to better outcomes for those we serve.

A comprehensive look at the Adult Protective Services (APS) process from your call to the Central Intake Unit, the investigation process of vulnerable adults and a look at the Adult Protective Services Registry. The role of the QA nurse on difficult and challenging abuse and neglect cases of vulnerable adults. The QA nurse is a resource and mentor to APS staff on a variety of health and wellness topics.

Kim Lanker, CPM is the Senior Quality Assurance Manager for Adult Protective Services (APS). The Quality Assurance unit in Adult Protective Services strives to continuously improve practice and outcomes for Arizona’s vulnerable adult population. Kim has been working with vulnerable adults, children, and the mentally ill population for over twenty-five years. She graduated from Arizona State University and completed a program to become a Certified Public Manager.

Kim has been a trainer and presenter for both Adult Protective Services and the Department of Child Safety, presenting at the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) 2019, 2020 and the Child Abuse Prevention Conference. Kim is a native Arizonian who enjoys hiking, chocolate, and sleep!

This 1-hour training will help providers further their understanding of the experiences of American Indian and Alaska Native caregivers and improve their multicultural capacities to meet caregiver’s needs. This 1-hour training is part of the cultural competency training curriculum created by the staff of the Diverse Elders Coalition and its six member organizations with the support of a grant from The John A. Hartford Foundation. Many of the research and statistics cited within the training were the result of a 15-month planning grant, during which the coalition completed a literature review, a survey of diverse family caregivers, and a series of focus groups with family caregivers in diverse communities. The research was conducted nationwide, in eight languages, and was led by the older adults and caregivers represented by the coalition.

This presentation addresses the personal safety risks and challenges associated in working with clients in human services. It will provide strategies to reduce risk when workers encounter challenging situations that involve upset, emotionally charged, or angry clients or others they may have contact with. Some of the topics covered are, reading clients’ behavior, de-escalation of emotional states, and paying attention in the environment. Self awareness and trusting ones instincts will also be covered.

This session will explore how sexual and domestic violence may present in people’s lives as they age. Attendees will receive information on supportive interventions and local resources.

This session will discuss the types of fraud in which the Social Security Administration can and cannot assist with. It will also share Social Security resources that help protect your Social Security Record and other helpful resources that you should be aware of.

This session will cover key aspects of abuse in later life as it relates to our indigenous elders. Tribal belief systems that honor elders and the current challenges tribes face in developing a response. Participants will gain an understanding of historical trauma and grief and how it plays a role when elders are being abused. In addition, participants will examine how elder abuse might have different dynamics and ways the abuse may take place. Time will be taken to discuss the critical questions tribes will grapple with as they develop their response and put in place additional safety supports to help protect and intervene in the lives of elders being abuse. The session will wrap up sharing resources to support tribe's work in developing their responses to abuse in later life.

Financial exploitation and thefts of opioid pain medications from residents is a prevalent and harmful form of elder mistreatment in long-term care homes. Only limited focus has been dedicated to these crimes in assisted living residences, a sector that is fast-growing but weakly regulated in many states. Part 1: Based on an examination of Minnesota Department of Health's (MDH) investigation reports substantiated as financial exploitation, this exploratory study identified the types of personal items stolen from residents, their monetary and personal value, the ways in which the thefts were identified including the extent to which they were caught on a surveillance camera. Part 2: Based on an examination of MDH's investigation reports substantiated as "drug diversion," this exploratory study identified the number of residents from whom opioid pain medications were stolen, the number of medications stolen, the techniques used by perpetrators to steal the medications, and the ways in which the thefts were identified including the extent to which they were caught on a surveillance camera. The preliminary findings can be used to inform prevention efforts and future research.

Did you know that Medicare patients and caregivers have the legal right to receive high quality care?

Medicare’s QIO Program works collaboratively with patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers to identify, analyze, and correct problems in the delivery of care. As a Medicare Beneficiary and Family Centered Care - Quality Improvement Organization (BFCC-QIO), Livanta reviews hundreds of quality-of-care cases each year across 27 states and U.S. territories.

This session discusses how patients and families can help to improve the quality of
healthcare for all Medicare beneficiaries through the Quality-of-Care review process. Learn how to report a quality care issue and how the program works to resolve those issues.

This workshop provides an overview of the biology of trauma, toxic stress, and adversity, and the essentials for reducing the symptoms of compassion fatigue. The factors for understanding and dealing with compassion fatigue will be identified, as well as resources for further study.

Attendees will hear from survivors of sexual and domestic violence regarding how they survived, are overcoming and healing from the abuse they have experienced in their lives.

The COVID-19 crisis introduced new complexities to the legal issues already affecting older adults. Existing challenges, including housing stability, economic security, and health care access, became more difficult. This presentation will provide an overview of the emerging legal issues that legal assistance providers have confronted during the COVID-19 crisis. With a focus on connecting participants to resources and partnerships that can help them in their work with older adults, the presentation will also detail new programs and innovations that have emerged during this challenge.

Fay Gordon has served as the Regional Administrator for Region IX (GU, AS, CNMI, CA, NV, AZ, HI) for the Administration for Community Living since November 2020.

Prior to joining ACL, Fay was the Project Director of the National Center on Law and Elder Rights (NCLER). Fay worked closely with ACL to launch NCLER, and over four years, NCLER grew and became a go-to training center for over 40,000 law, aging and disability network professionals. Fay previously worked in Justice in Aging’s Washington, DC office, as an attorney on the Health Care team. In this role, Fay provided policy analysis on issues impacting individuals who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, managed care, home and community-based services and long-term services and supports. Fay has previous experience as an associate with a consulting firm providing policy advice to national aging organizations, and as a law clerk with an elder law firm in Lutherville, Maryland. Fay received her JD from the University of Maryland School of Law, with a Health Law Concentration, and a BA from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Sarah Galvan is a Directing Attorney, Elder Rights at Justice in Aging, leading the National Center on Law and Elder Rights (NCLER). Under a contract with the Administration for Community Living, NCLER provides training, case consultation and technical assistance to the law and aging network. Sarah provides leadership to NCLER and expertise on legal services capacity building, skills-based training and elder justice issues. Sarah previously worked at the Center for Elder Law and Justice in New York. Sarah is a 2009 graduate of the University of Notre Dame Law school and is admitted to the New York bar.

Today we will consider the job of the Adult Protective Services Professional from the perspective of trauma. We will identify some sources of stress and recognize that a range of emotions is a normal part of work and relationships. We will discuss the power of our unconscious and how it helps us and how it gets in the way. We will conclude with some strategies for managing stress and avoiding burnout.

As LGBTQI+ people age and need support to meet their aging goals, many of them question whether it is safe to share with their providers that they are LGBTQI+. According to SAGE, as many as 60% of LGBTQI+ elders worry about how they will be treated in long-term care facilities, and many feel safer not disclosing their sexual identity or gender. Lived experiences with stigma and discrimination contribute to unique vulnerabilities and reluctance to access care.

In Visibility Matters attendees will learn some of the historic events that shaped attitudes and interactions with our institutions, and gain some of the tools needed to create a safe place for LGBTQI+ people to be their authentic selves and receive the support they deserve to age with dignity and respect.

Access to justice is a critical component of the Rule of Law, a concept that appears under attack around the world on an almost daily basis, according to media reports. While Rule of Law encompasses the entire structure and processes of government, access to justice is the individual empowerment and enforcement component of the Rule of Law that depends upon individuals’ knowledge of their rights and access to tools to enforce those rights effectively and affordably. Access to justice is critical in achieving equity for older adults, and the absence of it perpetuates disparities, while making the case for racial justice—spurred by last year’s protests for Black Lives Matter—even more apparent. In the absence of access to justice, people of all ages in our society are unable to have their voices heard, to exercise their rights, to remedy violations, to challenge discrimination and to hold decision-makers accountable.

Access to justice for older people and their families in the United States has been a mixed bag of successes and failures, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This presentation will discuss the impact of crime on older adults, signs of abuse, and resources to provide assistance.

Don’t get taken by a con artist or get stuck in another bad deal from a questionable contractor. Presenters will cover the most common scams in Arizona, tactics fraudsters use to steal your hard-earned money, and red flags. Attendees will be equipped with valuable prevention techniques and information about how to report consumer fraud.

This presentation will feature issues of rurality as it affects older adults and their families. The presentation will also include a discussion of how the opioid epidemic has impacted older people in rural areas.