USING BEST PRACTICES, EDUCATION, AND ENGAGEMENT TO PROMOTE RESIDENT SAFETY
Collaboration Fortifies the State Fight Against Elder Abuse
State champions of senior living are taking action to prevent elder abuse through education and engagement
WISCONSIN
Argentum state partner, the Wisconsin Assisted Living Association (WALA), is collaborating with key stakeholders as part of the state’s Elder Abuse Task Force, a new initiative driven by Attorney General Brad Schimel.
"Elder abuse is drastically underreported, and it can be deadly," said Schimel upon launch of a new website
(
reportelderabusewi.org) and educational campaign to raise awareness and encourage the reporting of abuse against seniors. "Studies show that even modest abuse increases the chance of premature death by 300 percent, and because Wisconsin's elderly population will increase 72 percent in the next two decades, we have to raise awareness, increase access to support for victims, and strengthen our response to every type of elder abuse."
WALA is part of the conversation; exchanging ideas with taskforce members from the state’s health services department, legislators, county officials, and law enforcement, among others to learn about each other’s perspectives and work together to combat elder abuse.
The taskforce is divided into two workgroups with one addressing broader issues related to elder abuse that includes members of the police force, adult protective services, and other experts, and another specifically focused on financial exploitation.
“The state has a lot of procedures in place designed to prevent elder abuse and in senior living there’s a lot of things that we’re already doing to address this very
14 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE JULY/AUGUST 2018
important subject,” said WALA’s former executive director Jim Murphy. “But talking and collaborating with other stakeholders is key as we all share a common goal of eliminating elder abuse. It’s a difficult and complex subject but something we must address thoughtfully to provide meaningful change.”
Sarah Bass, WALA operations and communications director, is a member of the taskforce’s financial exploitation workgroup and is giving long-term care providers a voice in the debate. The group is diving right into reviewing and updating the Wisconsin code on power of attorney (POA) for finances and property to “make it harder for fraudsters to commit fraud,” Bass said. While some of the code was updated a few years ago with the intent of removing language that created problematic loopholes, the current language does not require a witness or a notary to grant power of attorney. The lack of that requirement can be attractive to fraudsters looking to usurp power by preying on seniors with cognitive impairments or lack of knowledge about the process.
The group is also reviewing the healthcare POA and comparing it to the POA for finance to ensure appropriate and equal weight is given to protect the individual in each case. Bass said the group is also looking to tighten up the area in the code related to gift giving to “make it safer for older adults.”
Next up is a more thorough review of bank teller training programs to ensure these workers, who often have information about potential financial exploitation of seniors, are able to communicate their knowledge effectively to the right authorities.
“As a part of the financial workgroup, I want to make sure that the policies discussed are policies that senior living providers would be able to work within,” Bass said.
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