Webinar to highlight services that help seniors facing abuse

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Maria Duvuvuei

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WASHINGTON - An upcoming webinar on elder abuse will highlight the role that civil legal services organizations play in promoting the safety and well-being of older Americans nationwide. The Legal Services Corporation's (LSC) Thursday webinar is part of an Elder Justice Month Awareness series, in partnership with members of the Elder Justice Coordinating Council (EJCC), which is under the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Administration for Community Living.

EJCC brings federal partners together around a shared commitment to protecting older Americans from abuse, neglect, exploitation, fraud and scams.

Earlier this month, EJCC and HHS announced the new Federal Elder Justice Action Plan, a government-wide strategy to protect older Americans' rights, strengthen accountability and make it easier to find help.

"Older adults deserve to live with safety, dignity and independence," said Mary Lazare, delegated Chair of the Elder Justice Coordinating Council at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "Through the Elder Justice Coordinating Council and the Never EVER awareness campaign, we are helping older adults and families spot the signs of abuse, neglect, exploitation, fraud, and scams - and know how to identify when something feels wrong."

To accompany the Action Plan, EJCC also launched "Never EVER," a national campaign to prevent government and business imposter scams by helping older adults, families and caregivers spot common scam tactics.

"LSC looks forward to supporting the Action Plan through our national network of service providers, helping to ensure that older Americans can access the legal protections they need to achieve stability and security," said LSC President Ron Flagg.

LSC's Justice Gap report found that 70% of low-income seniors experience at least one civil legal problem each year, and only9% of those problems receive enough legal help to fully resolve the issue.

"At LSC, we see every day that elder justice is not just a healthcare or law enforcement issue - it is also a civil justice issue," saidFlagg. "Beyond addressing elder abuse, our grantees enable seniors to age with dignity by helping them protect their rights and avoid exploitation."

Through LSC's nationwide network of 129 legal services providers, low-income and vulnerable seniors in every zip code receive civil legal help. Their local legal services organization can assist them in addressing fraud and scams, housing, healthcare issues and access to benefits.

Last year, LSC-funded organizations served more than 300,000 Americans age 60 and older.

The webinar, "Civil Legal Interventions in Elder Abuse," will feature attorneys from Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida and Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, joining LSC staff to share strategies for addressing elder abuse, including unique challenges facing older adults in their regions.

The Thursday, June 25 webinar begins at 2 pm ET and is free and open to the public for registration. Information on the Elder Justice Month Awareness series, including 10 other webinars from federal partners, can be found on EJCC's website.