County’s Elder Justice Alliance given $750k grant to combat abuse

By Gina Joseph

The Elder Justice Alliance led by the Office of Senior Services in Macomb County has been working to combat the exploitation of older adults for years.

Now through a grant from the United States Department of Justice administrators have the funding to do even more not only locally but possibly provide a national model that other communities can follow.

“We’re the only county in Michigan to receive the grant and one of 11 counties around the country,” said Sheila Cote, director of the Office of Senior Services during Tuesday’s community meeting at Macomb Intermediate School District announcing the $750,000 grant over four years being received by the county.

Among those in attendance for the announcement were 80 individuals including Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel, Macomb County Department of Health and Community Services Director Andrew Cox along with community and local law enforcement leaders.

Communities across the country are experiencing a silver tsunami as the movement of baby boomers reaching the age of retirement has been coined including Macomb County, which has a senior population of 270,000.

This is one reason Macomb County received the DOJ grant.

Cote believes the other reason is that their application for the grant really proved the need to help Macomb County’s growing senior population who are constantly being exploited in one way or another.

The grant will provide the Elder Justice Alliance access to national experts and resources on elder abuse that can be shared with all levels of the criminal justice system and members of the community.

Communities across the country are experiencing a silver tsunami as the movement of baby boomers reaching the age of retirement has been coined including Macomb County, which has a senior population of 270,000.

This is one reason Macomb County received the DOJ grant.

Cote believes the other reason is that their application for the grant really proved the need to help Macomb County’s growing senior population who are constantly being exploited in one way or another.

The grant will provide the Elder Justice Alliance access to national experts and resources on elder abuse that can be shared with all levels of the criminal justice system and members of the community.

Among the resources made available to seniors are case workers.

A recent case handled by Cote’s office involved an 82-year-old woman who was using what she thought to be an online dating service.

“She was lonely,” Cote said, of the senior.

So, she reached out and was contacted by someone posing to be an admirer. She corresponded with the person (via an untraceable app) for 6-months believing all along that she had met someone who wanted to get married and it was only after losing thousands of dollars toward a ceremony that would never happen that she finally believed her caseworker, who insisted she was the victim of a scam.

At that point not much could be done to help her.

Therein lies part of the problem.

“It’s really difficult to track these people down after the fact,” Hackel, the former county sheriff, said noting it can also be very tough to see justice in many cases because they go unreported by individuals who are too embarrassed or hurt to say anything.

Or again, because it was a family member who exploited them.

“We have to find ways to get ahead of this,” Hackel said.

Cox concurred.

“We need to educate seniors on what to look for and what not to do,” Cox said, adding one way this might be done is during a senior expo. “We could also go to senior living sites and provide educational seminars for seniors and their caregivers.”

One thing seniors should already know is that the Office of Senior Services has advocates that can not only provide them with information to protect them against scammers and exploitation but guide them to the next step if they do become victims.

“We also have mental health professionals available if they need counseling,” Cox added, before heading into the kick-off meeting designed to lay the groundwork for more integrated community efforts to address elder abuse.

For more information call 586-469-5228 or visit macombgov.org/departments/senior-services. 

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County’s Elder Justice Alliance given $750k grant to combat abuse