October 11, 2012
The inaugural Elder Justice Coordinating Council meeting took place October 11, 2012 in Washington, DC, under the direction of the Administration on Aging. The Meeting Agenda (PDF, 126KB) was developed with input from experts on the Elder Justice Interagency Working Group, a National Institute on Aging and National Academy of Sciences State of the Science meeting (PDF), and the Department of Justice’s Concept Mapping Project (PDF, 137KB). Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, Attorney General Eric Holder, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), and representatives of the other member Federal Departments and Agencies made opening statements.
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Opening Statements Transcript (PDF, 763KB)
The meeting was comprised of four panels of nationally recognized, non-Federal government experts who presented testimony to Council members and their representatives on issues of paramount importance in addressing elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Council members and their representatives also had the opportunity to pose questions to Panel members about their areas of expertise. These panels were organized around the following major topics related to elder mistreatment:
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Financial Exploitation: Video | Transcript (PDF, 839KB)
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Public Policy and Awareness: Video | Transcript (PDF, 270KB)
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Enhancing Response: Video | Transcript (PDF, 685KB)
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Advancing Research: Video | Transcript (PDF, 273KB)
It is anticipated that, with input from the Elder Justice Interagency Working Group, these priority areas will be considered at the Coordinating Council’s future meetings. They will be prioritized and then constitute assignments for the various Departments and Agencies to begin working toward solutions of some of the most pressing problems in the area of Elder Justice.
- Expert White Papers
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Banks White Paper (PDF, 260KB)
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Benson White Paper (PDF, 192KB)
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Blancato White Paper (PDF, 373KB)
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Connolly White Paper (PDF, 436KB)
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Dong White Paper (PDF, 140KB)
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Greenwood White Paper (PDF, 102KB)
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Mosqueda White Paper (PDF, 159KB)
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Smocer White Paper (PDF, 645KB)
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Stiegel White Paper—Civil Legal Services (PDF, 160KB)
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Stiegel White Paper—Judicial System (PDF, 243KB)
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Tsumba White Paper (PDF, 185KB)
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Ulrey White Paper (PDF, 339KB)
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Wallace White Paper (PDF, 362KB)
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Wood White Paper (PDF, 599KB)
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Yuan White Paper (PDF, 493KB)
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What's Next?
The Elder Justice Interagency Working Group will organize, prioritize, and make recommendations to the Elder Justice Coordinating Council on the recommendations derived from the Expert Panelists within the categories listed above (i.e. Financial Exploitation, Public Policy and Awareness, Enhancing Response, and Advancing Research). These recommendations will reflect the major content themes of the Coordinating Council’s inaugural meeting. It is anticipated that the Coordinating Council will consider these priorities, and assign activities through the Elder Justice Interagency Working Group, which will in turn be charged with the planning and implementation of these assignments.
The Coordinating Council will meet biannually; the next meeting is anticipated for the spring of 2013. The Elder Justice Interagency Working Group is likely to report to the Elder Justice Coordinating Council through the Administration on Aging on an ongoing basis. Using this mechanism, it is expected that the Federal government can initiate a coordinated effort to begin solving problems related to elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of the senior citizens of the United States.