Top Ten Takeaways from the Elder Abuse Initiative Legacy Report

Archstone Foundation has devoted several decades of funding to address elder abuse issues in California. Our Elder Abuse and Neglect Initiative Legacy Report gives a detailed walkthrough of this effort. Here are the top 10 takeaways from the report:

1. The Elder Abuse Forensic Center is worth studying and funding. This model engages a full range of experts in one forum to address the complex, multi-layered dimensions of adult mistreatment, from report to resolution.
2. The California Elder Justice Coalition has offered blueprints and guides for new research and program possibilities to enhance Elder Justice. These useful guides can be found on their website.
3. Several federal legislative milestones have been reached in recent decades, including the Elder Justice Act of 2010, the Senior Safe Act of 2017, and the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act.
4. Coupled with the concentrated efforts of a few pioneers, Archstone Foundation invested in leadership development to expand and enhance the scarcely inhabited elder abuse research and practice arena. Elder justice organizations should take mentorship and career development of interested professionals very seriously.
5. Progress in addressing elder abuse issues could not have been possible without building teams and cultivating relationships. Institutions and organizations across California exchanged ideas and support during the Initiative and continue to benefit from this bond in the present day.
6. Measurement-driven success was at the forefront of the Initiative priorities. Effective programs cannot survive without robust data to support them. Coupled with the Foundation’s evaluation guidelines, collaborators were rigorous in collecting data, tracking fidelity to objectives, and monitoring the efficacy of practices.
7. Minority-focused prevention and education programs were a significant priority for the Initiative. Archstone Foundation recognized the importance of tailoring programs to unique experiences, languages, cultures, and personal needs.
8. Sustainability, concept replicability, and project impact were contemplated at the outset of the Initiative. Archstone Foundation supported this by affording model interventions the financial means and temporal latitude to implement, operationalize, and adjust projects.
9. Systems change is a necessary component in the field of elder justice. Allowing organizations the flexibility and opportunity to develop and test innovative models to address elder abuse was a critical component. Such systems change can be accomplished through forensic centers/multidisciplinary teams, training/education, research-informed practice, and infrastructure improvement.
10. Person-centered approaches to elder justice are crucial in this area. These approaches include creating individualized care plans based on the person’s preferences and ongoing review of the person’s goals and care.

You can find in-depth information on each of these 10 Takeaways in our Elder Abuse and Neglect Initiative Legacy Report. And we will have future blog posts looking specifically at systems change and person-centered approaches to elder justice.

Working together, philanthropies, government funders, policymakers, and stakeholders can build on Archstone Foundation’s work to preserve the rights, dignity, autonomy, and independence of all older adults.