Presented by ASA’s Healthcare and Aging Network (HAN)
ASA Members: Register now for FREE
Not a Member? Join ASA or Register for this event for $49
Includes complimentary CEUs
This web seminar is based on the 2017 Aging in America Conference (AIA) workshop “Elder Abuse Awareness and Prevention: Training for Home Care Aides.”
Elder abuse, though rarely discussed and infrequently reported, is a major public health problem in the United States. Family members and strangers often target older adults due to vulnerabilities such as disability and isolation. Identifying and reporting elder abuse can be challenging, as many victims feel ashamed or unsure of how to get help. Home-care aides, who provide 80 percent of paid care to older adults living in the community, can be an important resource to combat abuse. These caregivers can watch for the signs of abuse and report to supervisors and/or protective services, getting older adults the help they need.
This seminar will describe a partnership between the Home Care Aide Council (the nonprofit trade association for home-care agencies in Massachusetts), and Greater Boston Legal Services, to create a training program for home-care aides to help identify and report elder abuse. The Eastern Bank Foundation supported program development and dissemination. The training was disseminated to home-care agencies through three “train the trainer” sessions, where nearly 80 people were trained from 37 agencies to deliver the training to home-care aides.
Participants in this web seminar will be able to:
- Describe elder abuse and its prevalence;
- Explain why home-care aides are a key resource in identifying and preventing elder abuse; and,
- List the critical knowledge areas and key skills needed by home-care aides to assist in identifying and reporting elder abuse.
Presenters:
Betsey Crimmins, JD, has been a senior attorney in the Elder, Health, and Disability unit at Greater Boston Legal Services for more than 26 years. She created and directs the Elder Abuse Prevention Project of Greater Boston Legal Services, and speaks frequently on elder abuse and geriatric mental health issues.
Hayley Gleason, MSW, MS, is assistant director of the Home Care Aide Council, where she oversees the Foundation’s grant efforts and initiatives. She has particular expertise in curriculum development and survey and evaluation research relative to training of the direct care workforce.
Lisa Gurgone, MS, is executive director of the Home Care Aide Council and an expert in the field of home care, with specific specialization in the home-care aide workforce. During her tenure at the Council, her experience with policy and advocacy efforts have won significant gains in wage enhancements for home-care aides across the state.