The Elder Justice Roadmap

Facilitated Discussion on Prevention
“It has been 30 years and we still do not know what prevention programs work.
Multi-component interventions and counseling can address potentially abusive
caregivers. We need programs to prevent people from becoming abusers and from
becoming victims.”
– Prevention FD Participant
Discussion participants:
Georgia Anetzberger, PhD, ACSW, LISW, National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse
(NCPEA)
Melissa Brodowski, PhD, MSW, MPH, Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for
Children and Families
Jeanette Daly, PhD, RN, University of Iowa, Department of Family Medicine
Martha Deevy, MBA, Stanford Center on Longevity
Jeff Hall, PhD, MSPH, CPH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Candice Kane, PhD, JD, Chicago Project Violence Prevention; University of Illinois- Chicago School of
Public Health
Bonnie Olson, PhD, University of California- Irvine
Karl Pillemer, PhD, Cornell University
Joseph Rodrigues, State Long Term Care Ombudsman; California Department for the Aging
Debby Tucker, MPA, National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence
Prevention was identified as a critical issue for stakeholders. Although prevention is key to stemming the
tide of abuse and is the first line of defense, we know almost nothing about how to successfully prevent
elder abuse. We dedicate too few resources to identifying and implementing potentially successful
prevention programs and strategies.
Priorities:
Abuser intervention programs and strategies: We should create demonstration projects for
current and potential abusers to identify and evaluate what types of interventions prevent what
sorts of victimization.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: The CDC should treat elder abuse like other
serious public health issues by conducting surveillance and research, and developing strategies,
interventions, and programs targeting primary, secondary, or tertiary prevention.
Child abuse prevention models: Programs proven to be effective in preventing child abuse –
such as home visits by health workers and child death reviews – should be studied to determine
whether they can be successfully adapted to prevent elder abuse.
39 The Elder Justice Roadmap–Appendices