15th Annual

William J. Neff Sr.

Symposium on the Prevention of

Crimes Against Older Adults

The Purpose

In September 2000, William J. Neff, Sr., an 83 year old man with Alzheimer's, residing at a  local personal care home, died as a result of five broken ribs and a punctured lung.  Following a two-year criminal investigation, a health care provider was charged with Murder and Neglect of a Care-Dependent Person.  In addition, the Administrator of the facility, the Director of Nursing, another resident assistant and a hospice nurse were criminally charged.

In 2003, all of the health care professionals were convicted of criminal offenses stemming from Mr. Neff’s death.  As a result of the criminal case, the Bucks County Crimes Against Older Adults Task Force sponsors this annual symposium to bring together law enforcement officers, health care and social service professionals to provide education, heighten awareness and facilitate communication.

REGISTRATION IS LIMITED TO 300 PEOPLE

 Agenda:

8:30 to 9:00                 Registration and Continental Breakfast                                         

9:00 to 9:15                 Welcome and Introductions

9:15 to 10:00               Elder abuse in Pennsylvania- Teresa Osborne, Pennsylvania Secretary of Aging

10:00-10:15                Break/Networking/Resource Fair

10:15-11:45                Keynote: Making Elder Fraud a Distant Memory

Presenter: Liz Loewy, General Counsel at EverSafe; Pioneering Legal Expert, Author and Lecturer in the field of Elder Justice

Elder fraud is a multibillion-dollar industry in America. One in five seniors are affected, and the cases are vastly underreported. It is no secret that scammers target vulnerable seniors, victimizing them in ever-emerging and sophisticated schemes. Safeguarding an older adult’s life savings requires a proactive prevention strategy and a team approach. Technology tools now exist that can help seniors, their loved ones, and professionals monitor for capacity issues that suggest they are at risk. This keynote presentation will focus on how advance planning and leveraging the use of technology will curb the elder fraud epidemic in profound ways.

Liz Loewy is General Counsel at EverSafe, a technology company focused on preventing fraud and identity theft in later life. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Albany Law School, she was formerly a prosecutor in the Manhattan DA’s Office, where she became Chief of the first Elder Abuse Unit. Ms. Loewy served as trial counsel in high profile trials, including the successful prosecution of Anthony Marshall, the son of Brooke Astor. She lectures on elder fraud in the US and Europe and is the co-author of “Financial Exploitation of the Elderly: Legal Issues, Prevention, Prosecution, Social Service Advocacy” (Civic Research Institute). Ms Loewy has been quoted in the NY Times, Consumer Reports, Forbes, Businessweek and Marketwatch, and has appeared on ABC’s 20/20, CNBC and NPR

11:45                           Networking/Resource Fair

12:00                           Lunch             

1:00-2:30                    Breakouts:

 A.  Healing Through the Alphabet: Providing Trauma – Informed Care for Elderly LGBTQ+ Individuals and Couples Concerns

Presenters:      

Joyce Darakcioglu, NCC, LPC, Counselor, Network of Victim Assistance

Tiffini Lanza, M.Ed, LSW, Bucks Rainbow Allies in Bucks County

Description:    

Healing Through the Alphabet: Providing Trauma – Informed Care for Elderly LGBTQ+ Individuals will provide information on a variety of topics that will allow the learner to leave feeling more competent providing trauma informed services to elderly LGBTQ+ individuals and couples.   We will provide information on development, gender development, and LGBTQ+ development across the life span.  Then we will discuss psycho-education regarding trauma and how it impacts our brains and bodies, while focusing on secondary trauma(s) that elderly LGBTQ+ individuals may experience.  We will discuss symptoms of trauma through a lens that focuses on how these symptoms may show in elderly LGBTQ+ individuals.  This workshop will look at themes that come with trauma, such as victim blaming and working with different community systems, to understand the experiences elderly LGBTQ+ individuals may have.  We will provide an opportunity to examine and discuss case studies.  Finally, we will provide a practical application and best practice piece so participants can walk away with new skills to use.  This workshop will combine lecture, short videos, case studies, small group work, and discussion. 

  

B. Preventing Elder Financial Exploitation    

Presenters:

Christina Kotsalos, Director, Investor Education and Outreach, PA Department of Banking and Securities

Denise Getgen, Director, Protective Services, PA Department of Aging

Description:

Seniors lose an estimated $2.9 billion per year to financial abuse, and Pennsylvania faces a greater challenge than most states because it has a rapidly aging population. In addition, recent statistics show that financial exploitation is now the number one reported abuse reported to the PA Department of Aging. This presentation will help professionals that work in banks, credit unions, social services, healthcare and the legal field recognize and report suspected elder financial exploitation.

 

C. Sexual Abuse in the Lives of Older Adults: Building Effective Response

 Presenter:

Kayla Houser, Outreach Coordinator, PCAR

Description:

Sexual violence effects communities across the lifespan. In this introductory workshop, we unpack the dynamics of elder sexual abuse, and identifying and effectively responding to sexual abuse in our homes, communities, and facilities from a trauma-informed framework. This workshop is intended to be interactive and is designed for providers, investigators, AAAs, and other allied professionals who support older adults.

2:30-2:45                     Break

2:45-4:15                     Breakouts

A.  Getting justice for senior victims of financial exploitation: civil and criminal options

Presenters:

Dana Goldberg, Esq., Director, Victim Services, SeniorLAW Center

MacDonald P. Taylor Jr., Elder Victim Legal Advocate, SeniorLAW Center

Description:

Financial exploitation is a growing epidemic in our country, robbing seniors of billions of dollars each year.  Through case scenarios, we will facilitate an interactive discussion about the types of financial exploitation occurring against seniors, the civil and criminal responses available in these scenarios and practical ways advocates can work with victims of financial exploitation to ensure better outcomes in the justice system.

 

B. Practical Ethics When Working with Vulnerable Adults 

Presenter:       

Chris Dubble, Director of Training, Temple University Harrisburg

Description:

This training is developed for professionals in human services, health care, law enforcement and other allied disciplines working with older adults vulnerable to abuse, neglect and exploitation. We routinely face ethical issues and dilemmas in our daily work. This workshop addresses ethical practice and policy decisions by taking ethics from the dry theoretical to rich applications for any practice setting.  Everyone, from new to seasoned professionals, will find information in this training that will apply to their everyday work.

 

C.  Senior Crime Prevention University

Presenter:

Dave Shallcross, Senior Community Outreach Officer, Office of Attorney General, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Description:

The Senior Crime Prevention University is a fraud prevention program created by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General to educate senior citizens how to protect themselves against fraud. Topics discussed include home improvement rip-offs, telemarketing tricks, sweepstakes scams, financial fraud, and identity theft.

 

 4:15                            Conclusion and certificates and Basket Raffle

 

Approval for Continuing Education Credits: 

5.0 CE credits SUBMITTED to the PA State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Professional Counselors

5.0 CE credits SUBMITTED to the PA State Board of Nursing

 

5.0 CLEE hours SUBMITTED to the Municipal Police Officers' Education & Training Commission

 

5.0 CE credits SUBMITTED to The National Continuing Education Review Service (NCERS) of the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB)

 

5.0 CE credtis SUBMITTED to PA DHS for Personal Care Home Administrators

 

  

                                          

Thank You to Our 2018 Sponsors* and Host:

Bucks County Community College

Bucks County Area Agency on Aging

HCR ManorCare

Christ's Home

Juniper Village 

                                                                                                               *as of 3-30-18

 

 

Sponsorship Opportunities are still available! 

Greatest Generation     $3,000             Acknowledgement on the Symposium invitation and prominent placement on donor form in participant folders; full page logo on scrolling donor screen prior to the welcome address; formal acknowledgement during the welcome address; company name and logo on give-away item and “Greatest Generation Sponsor” on dining tables in the Gallagher Room. Vendor table in the lobby.

Silent Generation         $2,000             Acknowledgement on the Symposium invitation and donor form in participant folders; company name with logo on donor screen prior to welcome address; recognized during welcome address and an afternoon workshop; “Silent Generation Sponsor” on dessert table in Gallagher Room. Vendor table in the lobby.

Baby Boomers             $1,500             Acknowledgement on the Symposium invitation and donor form in participant folders; company name on scrolling donor screen prior to welcome address, acknowledgement during welcome address and an afternoon workshop. Vendor table in the lobby.

Generation X               $1,000             Acknowledgement on the Symposium invitation and donor form in participant folders; company name on scrolling donor screen, and recognized during welcome address.  Vendor table in the lobby.

Generation Y               $600                Acknowledgement on the Symposium invitation and donor form in participant folders; company name on scrolling donor screen, and mention during welcome address. Vendor table in the lobby.

Gen Tech                     $ 300               Acknowledgement on donor form in participant materials and company name listed on scrolling donor screen.  Vendor table in the lobby.

Friend of Neff               $150              Acknowledgment on donor form in participant materials.

 

Disclaimer: Sponsorship is under agreement and acknowledgment that the 15th Annual William J. Neff Sr Symposium on the Prevention of Crimes Against Older Adults for May 22, 2018 at Bucks County Community College is for educational purposes and not for the purpose of promoting any products or entities.  The educational activity will be free of commercial bias for or against products or entities.

To arrange a sponsorship or for additional information, please contact Mandy Mundy, Network of Victim Assistance at mandy@novaubcks.org. 

Thank you.

Register Now!