SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL POLICY RESPONSES TO ABUSE AND NEGLECT OF OLDER ADULTS

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SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL POLICY RESPONSES TO
ABUSE AND NEGLECT OF OLDER ADULTS

• Presenter Patricia Brownell, PhD, LMSW
• brownell_at_fordham.edu
• Fordham University Graduate School of Social
  Service, New York City, USA

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Presentation for 16th John K. Friesen
ConferenceSimon Fraser University

• Gerontology Research CentreVancouver,
  BCThursday, May 11, 2006

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Social Issues Related to Abuse and Neglect of
Older Adults, or Senior Abuse

• Ageism and Lack of Respect (ILC, 2005)
• Aging of the Population as a Global Phenomenon
  (UN, 2005)
• Diversity of Older Adults Age 50
• Political Economy of Aging Gender Differences
• Families in Later Life
• The Senior Abuse Movement
• Social Biases that Privilege Protection over
  Empowerment

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Challenges to Social Policy Responses

• Lack of clear and consistent definitions
• Lack of reliable and quantifiable data
• Paucity of intervention outcome research
• Prevention and early intervention versus
  protection
• Social health and services versus criminal
  justice response
• Gerontologist versus feminist perspective

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Challenges to Social Policy Responses (Contd)

• Lack of perceived power/skills/knowledge among
  senior abuse victims/survivors to change social
  policies
• Lack of consensus among provider and advocacy
  community on remedies
• Fragmentation and gaps in aging service delivery
  systems
• Insufficient funding for services to older adults
  and their families

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U.S. Public Policy Responses Two National
Legislative Examples

• Older Americans Act of 1965
• Followed first While House Conference on Aging
  (1961)
• Created Federal Administration on Aging headed by
  Assistant Secretary in U.S. Department of Health
  and Human Services
• Promoted social inclusion for older adults
• 1992 Amendment to Older Americans Act Title VII
  (Elder Rights and Resources)
• Elder abuse counseling and related services
• Health insurance counseling
• Legal assistance
• Long Term Care Ombudsman Program
• Preventing fraud and abuse

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Two National Legislative Examples (Contd)

• Violence Against Womens Act (1994)
• Created Office on Violence Against Women in U.S.
  Department of Justice
• Violence Against Womens Act (VAWA) 2000 and
  2006 Amendments
• Safe Homes for Older Women
• Law enforcement and cross training to address
  older women victims of domestic and sexual
  violence
• Multidisciplinary collaborative community
  responses to senior abuse victims
• Culturally and linguistically relevant services
• Priority given to needs of underserved

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Example of U.S. National Social Policy Coalition
Effort

• National Elder Abuse Summit (December 2001)
• National Elder Justice Coalition
• Elder Justice Act (bill pending in Congress
  2002-Present)
• Would create Office of Elder Justice in U.S.
  Department of Health and Human Services

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Example of U.S. State/Local Coalition Building
Efforts to Influence Public Policy

• New York State Project 2015 (2000)
• New York State Elder Abuse Summit (May 2003)
• New York State Delegation 2005 White House
  Conference on Aging
• New York City Elder Abuse Summit 2006

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Example of an International Public Policy Agenda
Building Effort MIPAA

• Madrid 2002 International Plan of Action on
  Ageing (MIPAA) (Priority direction III Ensuring
  enabling and supportive environments Issue 3
  Neglect, abuse and violence)
• Objective One Elimination of all forms of
  neglect, abuse and violence of older persons
• Objective Two Creation of support services to
  address elder abuse

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MIPPA (contd) United Nations Madrid 5 Review
(Monitoring Plan)

• Important Grassroots bottom-up review
• Assumption of top down support
• Governments can decide what part(s) of MIPAA to
  monitor
• NGOs must advocate with governments on what
  part(s) of MIPAA to include in monitoring plan
• NGOs, older adults must advocate with government
  to participate in the review

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MIPAA (contd) Madrid 5Overview of Structure
of United Nations in relation to Madrid 5
Review

• Secretary General
• (UN Bureaucracy)
• Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)
• Department of Public Information (DPI)

• General Assembly
• (Government Missions)
• Commission on Social Development
• Commission on the Status of Women

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MIPAA (contd) Madrid 5 Review

• Commission on Social Development (CSD) will
  oversee the Madrid 5 monitoring Plan and
  Implementation
• 2006 Nations that signed onto MIPAA must decide
  what sections to include in their monitoring
  plan Implications for Canadian senior abuse
  advocates

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Madrid 5 (contd)

• February 2007 At CSD, member nations will be
  requested to report on laws passed, programs
  established, etcetera, since MIPAA (without
  outcome analyses), and on what aspects of MIPAA
  they have decided to review.
• During 2007, bottom up action review appraisal
  will begin on those aspects of MIPAA selected for
  monitoring (review).

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Madrid 5 ( contd)

• February 2008 At CSD, governments will present
  their responses to what they have found about
• Impact of policies, programs and other
  initiatives,
• Outcomes for older adults, and
• Direction of future social welfare policies
• Role for elder abuse advocates, NGOs and
  academic institutions what constitutes good
  and bad laws how are older persons rights
  balanced against intrusive protection what
  good is a law without adequate funding to
  implement it?

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Madrid 5 (contd)

• To Date
• Draft recommendations on the review methodology
  have been distributed to the member nations by
  DESA (to be finalized shortly)
• CSD has approved the modality for the first
  review and appraisal endorsed calendar to start
  global review in 2007 and report back in 2008
• CSD has established theme for first review at
  global level Addressing the Challenges and
  Opportunities of Ageing
• CSD has recommended format for 2008 review
  plenary debates, series of panel discussions and
  events.

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International Efforts in the Works

• INPEA taking lead in global awareness of elder
  abuse through World Day Project
• NGO Committee on Ageing (umbrella NGO for over 45
  NGOs with ageing focus) supporting education and
  awareness about senior abuse
• World Environmental Scan will provide information
  in addition to government reports on MIPAA social
  policy response to senior abuse

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Opportunities for North American Senior Abuse
Advocates to Work Together to Promote Public
Policy Responses

• Share information on public policies and
  coalition building at conferences
• Collaborate on responses to the Madrid 5
  monitoring and review process
• Contribute to journals and publications like the
  Journal of Gerontological Social Work
• Other ideas? (Lets keep talking!)