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By Alison Barkoff, Principal Deputy
Administrator, ACL
Earlier this month, I was honored to chair the first Elder
Justice Coordinating Council meeting of the Biden-Harris
Administration. Created by the Elder Justice Act of 2010,
the EJCC brings together federal departments, agencies, and
entities administering programs related to elder abuse,
neglect, and financial exploitation to coordinate a
national elder justice response. In conjunction with the
meeting, ACL launched
a new EJCC website which we will continue to update
over the coming months.
The meeting touched on a wide range of
issues, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and
social isolation, the connection between elder justice and
advancing equity, and the importance of partnerships. The
meeting featured a variety of dedicated leaders including
Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm and
Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta.
Below are just a few highlights and
take-aways from the meeting.
COVID and Social Isolation
The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the
lives of all Americans, and especially older adults,
shifting the elder justice landscape in the process.
COVID-19 has shone a light on the risks of abuse, neglect,
and exploitation faced by older adults, especially when
experiencing social isolation and the loss of both formal
home and community-based services and support from friends
and family.
Several agencies spoke about the emergence
of COVID-related scams and ongoing efforts to address them.
In addition, CFPB Director Chopra expressed concern about
how the growing role of private equity in the nursing home
industry has impacted care, especially during the pandemic.
At the same time, the pandemic response has
led to new investments in elder justice and a development
of new program models. For example, AmeriCorps Seniors
has prioritized elder justice in the demonstration
program created with funding from the American Rescue
Plan, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service has
experienced success providing "tele-victim
services" to people targeted by fraud and scams.
Advancing Equity
Another major theme touched on by every
single agency was equity and the importance of reaching
people facing additional barriers that can increase the
risk or impact of maltreatment—including older adults in
communities of color, rural communities, and the LGBTQ+
community.
As HHS Dep. Sec. Palm put it, "elder
justice is not just a public health issue; it is also an
issue of equity and inclusion."
One notable resource mentioned during the
meeting is an
October Federal Trade Commission report examining the
impact of fraud in communities of color. One finding in
the report was that people in majority Black and Latino
communities disproportionately report paying scammers using
methods with few fraud protections, such as cash,
cryptocurrency, debit cards, and money orders.
In addition to ensuring marginalized
communities are included in data, many members discussed
the importance of outreach. For example, the Department of
Labor discussed the importance of devoting resources to
language access and translating materials and the Federal
Trade Commission discussed the importance of outreach to
ethnic communities.
In addition, many agencies—including the
Federal Communications Commission and the Departments of
Justice and Homeland Security—discussed the importance of
accessible facilities, technology, and services in
protecting the rights of people with disabilities,
including many older adults.
Critical Partnerships
A third unmistakable theme was the
importance of collaboration between federal agencies and
with state, local, and community-based partners.
One great example of a federal partnership
highlighted by Associate AG Gupta was the fourth annual Money
Mule Initiative which brought enforcement actions
against people who receive and move money obtained from
victims of fraud, usually at the direction of international
fraudsters. The initiative is a partnership between seven
enforcement agencies including the Department of Justice,
FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Department of Labor,
Department of Homeland Security, and Department of the
Treasury. This year’s initiative took action against 4,750
people acting as "money mules," doubling the size
of last year's enforcement. In addition, the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau, ACL, and AmeriCorps Seniors
are joining the partnership to increase public awareness
about this type of fraud.
"To me the success of this initiative
is emblematic of what we can accomplish when we actually
harness all of our collective strengths across our
agencies," Associate AG Gupta told the Council.
The day after the EJCC meeting, HHS
and the Department of Housing and Urban Development
announced another exciting partnership to improve access to
affordable, accessible housing and supportive services.
EJCC members also have been working with,
and strengthening, community-based organizations. At ACL,
our aging and disability networks have long been valued
partners for federal elder justice efforts and we are
constantly looking for new partners. This year, for the
first time, we awarded grants to the highest courts in
seven states to develop overall approaches and innovations
to improve the experiences of adults at risk of
guardianship and conservatorship.
The EJCC shared many more examples of
community partnerships. For example, the Department of
Veterans Affairs, Securities and Exchange Commission, and
Federal Emergency Management Agency described partnerships
including AARP and other community-based organizations to
raise awareness about fraud among older adults.
Bringing all of these themes together, the
Social Security Administration described an initiative to
improve outreach and services for people facing barriers
that included partnerships with community-based
organizations and adding staff to field offices to
facilitate these partnerships. The initiative is helping
address gaps exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
These are only a few of the many topics
discussed during the meeting. If you were not able to tune
in live, you can watch
a recording of the meeting here.
We know that it will take an all-of-government approach to
make our shared vision of elder justice and community
inclusion a reality. It is incredible to reflect on the
progress we have made in the years since the EJCC first
convened in 2012. We have a lot of progress to build upon
and so many opportunities to do more. The work of advancing
elder justice has never been more important, or more
urgent.
HHS Deputy Secretary Palm spoke for all of
us when she said, "we will not rest until we know that
every older adult is living with the security and dignity
they deserve."
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