Elder Abuse Community Outreach Program
The Elder Abuse Community Outreach Program is charged with administrating a federal elder abuse grant. This grant was obtained by the Knoxville Police Department from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women.
For information, contact Sasha Hammett at 865-524-2786 or sasha.hammett@knoxseniors.org
Major grant components include:
- Training for all law enforcement officers in Knoxville-Knox County as well as other partners
- A monthly coordinated community response meeting that seeks to fill service gaps for elder abuse victims in the criminal justice and social services systems
- Direct services for elder victims through partnership with Adult Protective Services and others
Funding from the East Tennessee Foundation provides community education on how everyone can identify, report, and respond to elder abuse in our community. Together these resources offer a comprehensive program for tackling the complex issue of elder abuse.
Coordinated Community Response
The Elder Abuse Coordinated Community Response brings together an interdisciplinary group (i.e. law enforcement, aging network, etc.). This group meets monthly to identify and fill gaps in the criminal justice and social services systems. Large goals include creating community education on elder abuse; supporting the creation or expansion of affordable housing for elder abuse victims; and encouraging organizations that serve older victims to review and update their policies as needed.
Elder Justice: How to Identify, Report, and Respond to Elder Abuse
Elder Abuse Community Outreach Reports
Victim Services Survey Results
In 2016, the CAC Office on Aging polled 338 older adults and elder care professionals to ask their opinions on service gaps for elder abuse victims. Based on these results, the decision was made to employ an elder abuse case manager at the CAC Office on Aging.
- Victim Services Survey – Responses from Eldercare Professionals
- Victim Services Survey – Responses from Older Adults
#EndElderAbuseKnox
Did you know that many people do not realize that elder abuse is a widespread problem? One way of spreading awareness is simply by talking about it. If you or your organization utilizes social media accounts, consider posting statistics about elder abuse using the hash tag EndElderAbuseKnox. Several organizations and individuals in our community are already doing so and adding to this important conversation. To help you get started, please visit this link to the National Center on Elder Abuse.