Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


A recent seminar hosted by a local non-profit helped to shine a light on elder abuse and neglect and increase community awareness.

In honor of Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15th, Livingston County Catholic Charities and the Elder Justice Coalition hosted “The Many Faces of Elder Abuse” Seminar. In partnership with various community members and entities, Elder Abuse Awareness was said to be brought to light through education, networking, and sharing.

The event featured experts and key speakers including, the Prosecuting Attorney’s Association of Michigan, South Central Legal Services, the Livingston County Hoarding Task Force, LCCC’s Prevention of Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation (PEANE) team, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and others.

Officials say the event was attended by several notable community leaders in the movement and topics included: Following your Gut and What to do when your Family Members are the Scammers as well as Financial Exploitation: Prevention and Prosecution. Remarks from Nessel were centered on her office’s efforts to combat those types of crimes, Hoarding and Neglect, Power of Attorney and Guardianship, and Tenant and Landlords Rights.

Through presentations and discussion, officials say a new group of community members are now better equipped and prepared to further promote safety and wellness for local seniors and become advocates in the community.

Livingston County Catholic Charities thanked all who attended, participated and supported the event – saying through joint efforts, “we can help curb the rise of Elder Abuse and Neglect in our community”.

The non-profit is encouraging community members to join Livingston County Catholic Charities and the Elder Justice Coalition to learn more about how they can help prevent and address Elder Abuse in the future.

For more information or to learn more about elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, contact Beth Newman at Livingston County Catholic Charities at (517) 545-5944, or beth@livingstoncc.org. Those interested can also visit the National Center on Elder Abuse https://ncea.acl.gov.