Innovative Remedies to Reduce Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation

In an effort to propel national progress in identifying and remedying elder abuse and financial exploitation, OVC's Field-Generated Innovations in Addressing Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation Project is funding eight innovative field-generated projects in three Purpose Areas: (1) the use of technology, (2) encouragement and enhancement of cross-collaboration in victim services, and (3) the offer of enhanced or new legal remedies for victims of elder abuse and financial exploitation.

Under Purpose Area 3, Utah Legal Services will work in partnership with Utah Adult Protective Services (APS) and the Utah Commission on Aging (UCOA) to develop and implement key elder abuse and financial exploitation interventions by 1) educating the public on challenges and barriers to reporting by sharing victims' voices of their experience and challenges in culturally competent video and podcast programs in Navajo, Spanish, and English; 2) developing and implementing tailored legal intervention for high risk individuals; 3) developing a training protocol in order to improve referrals, based upon new model for forensic auditing and analysis; 4) finding unique new organizations to accept emergency placements; and 5) encouraging proper use of Uniform Power of Attorney forms by conducting surveys on use of the form. Project partners will work together and with AARP and others on various project aspects. Major project deliverables include: four videos, four podcasts, six public services announcements, a high risk intervention training manual, forensics audit training manual, intake and investigative process manual, survey results and recommendations on Uniform Power of Attorney. CA/NCF