Every year on June 15, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is commemorated in the United States and around the world. This June, the Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida (AAASWFL) will host and participate in events across Southwest Florida to raise awareness of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation. These events include an upcoming presentation in LaBelle:
“Steering Clear of Scams” presentation
Tuesday, June 18 at 11:00 a.m.
Hope Connections L.J. Nobles Senior Center (475 E. Cowboy Way)
The Area Agency on Aging’s presentation will educate elders and their families on how to spot scams, protect one another from exploitation, and how to address and report suspected fraud. Admission to the presentation is free. For more information or to schedule an elder abuse prevention activity at your organization, contact the AAASWFL Elder Helpline at 866-413-5337 (866-41-ELDER).
AAASWFL will also host elder abuse awareness events on Monday, June 10 in Moore Haven and Clewiston. From 9:30 a.m. until noon, the agency will be at Florida Community Health Centers in Moore Haven (1020 Health Park Dr.). Then, from 5:00 until 7:15 p.m., AAASWFL will be at the Clewiston Public Library (120 W. Osceola Ave.). At both events, AAASWFL will distribute information about elder abuse, exploitation and neglect and answer questions about how to identify, report, and prevent abuse.
Established in 2006 by the World Health Organization and the United Nations, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) reminds us that we all have a critical role to play to focus attention on elder justice. As many as one in ten older Americans are abused or neglected each year, according to the U.S. Administration for Community Living, and experts estimate that only one in 14 cases of abuse are ever reported to authorities.
The Florida Department of Elder Affairs’ Elder Abuse Prevention Program is funded through Title VII of the Older Americans Act and is administered through contracts with Area Agencies on Aging and local service providers.
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