NE: Investigator Receives Award for Work on Elder Abuse

Investigator Cindy Koenig-Warnke didn’t become a Lincoln police officer to champion a cause, but since she took a job with the Technical Investigations Unit in 2006, she has gained attention for her work on cases of elder abuse. Last month, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services officials named her the statewide Elder Abuse Prevention Advocate, a new annual award designed to recognize those who protect elderly people.

Social services officials call Koenig-Warnke a tenacious investigator who genuinely cares for victims and goes above and beyond her police duties to educate the public about elder abuse and neglect. “She’ll go the extra mile,” said Cynthia Brammeier, administrator for the state Unit on Aging, Medicaid and Long-Term Care.

Koenig-Warnke said convictions bring her victims great joy, but she wishes offenders convicted of adult abuse faced tougher sentencing. She educates people at hospitals and in gerontology groups and advises the Elder Rights Coalition under the state’s Unit on Aging.

Older adults should be careful in granting power of attorney and review documentation to make sure a selected representative is still the person they trust to care for their affairs, Koenig-Warnke said.

And, she encouraged those who believe abuse has occurred to come forward, even if they may be embarrassed.

“I want them to see that even (though) they are a victim," she said, "they deserve justice.”

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Investigator Receives Award for Work on Elder Abuse