Giving Compass' Take:

• Crimes Against Older Adults Task Force investigates abuses against the elderly, finding that social service interventions are very effective in helping elderly victims. 

• What systems are currently in place to report elderly abuse or neglect?  

• Is rural aging the next public health issue? 

In September 2000, William J. Neff, Sr., an 83-year-old man with Alzheimer's Disease, residing at a local Bucks County personal care home, died as a result of five broken ribs and a punctured lung. In 2003, a health care provider at the facility was charged with murder and neglect of a care-dependent person. In addition, the administrator of the facility, the director of nursing, a resident assistant, and a hospice nurse were criminally charged.

As part of its education and prevention efforts, the Crimes Against Older Adults Task Force also produces a high-quality day long training program, the William J. Neff Sr. Symposium on the Prevention of Crimes Against Older Adults, that addresses elder abuse issues.

In response to this crime, the Bucks County Crimes Against Older Adults Task Force was initiated to focus on preventing future incidents like the William J. Neff murder. The Task Force began in 2003 in response to a need to coordinate efforts of multiple agencies that were working to assist at-risk seniors in Bucks County. Participating agencies saw a need to develop intra-agency participation to more efficiently assist elder victims.

When Task Force members share information regarding individual cases, they often find that input from the participating members helps to identify the best path to pursue in an elder abuse investigation. Although prosecution of perpetrators of elder abuse, neglect, exploitation, or abandonment is a primary goal of the Task Force, many elder victims and their families are helped through social service interventions.  Task force efforts have led to several convictions but have also frequently led to the improvement of the quality of life of seniors in and around Bucks County.

Read the full article on protecting older adults by Chuck Danfield and Lois Tobin at Social Innovations.