Summary:

Consent is a frequent defense in financial crimes, sexual assaults, and caregiver neglect cases involving older adults; however, a victim’s diminished decision-making capacity may undermine what appears to be consent, triggering a violation of the law. In this webinar, Dr. LoFaso, a geriatrician, discusses the concept of decision-making capacity and how it is assessed. Then, Page Ulrey, a prosecutor, discusses how a victim’s diminished decision-making capacity is used in making charging decisions, how to access professional evaluators, and how evidence of diminished decision-making capacity is used and defended at trial.

Summary:

Whether it occurred recently or decades ago, trauma can influence the interactions that elder justice professionals, including law enforcement, have when working with older victims. In this webinar, attendees will learn how trauma affects behaviors and emotions and the signs and symptoms of trauma observed in older adults. Attendees learn how understanding trauma can improve engagement with older victims and create more positive outcomes for law enforcement investigations. A detective with the Cambridge Police Department discusses how and why the entire department adopted trauma-informed practices.

Summary:

Law enforcement faces significant challenges in handling cases of Power of Attorney (POA) abuse, where terms like "durability," "fiduciary," and "capacity" are often mistakenly linked solely to civil legal issues. This webinar offers guidance on investigating and prosecuting abuse and financial exploitation involving POAs, helping law enforcement and prosecutors to discern when and why actions involving these instruments may constitute crimes. Participants gain a deeper understanding of the complexities and legal nuances in POA abuse cases, enabling more effective responses and protections for victims.

Summary:

Over the past few years, the roles of guardians and conservators have received significant attention. This is driven, at least in part, by incidents or allegations of fraud or abuse by the guardians and conservators against the individuals they are supposed to protect. To better understand these matters, the National Institute of Justice commissioned a report, Environmental Scan of Guardianship Abuse and Fraud (released September 2023). In this webinar, the report’s authors share a summary of the findings, including available data on the issue, legal, policy, and practice considerations, and recommendations.

Summary:

Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) coordinators fill a critical role on elder abuse teams, yet there are few educational resources to support their professional development.

This webinar examines the elements of successful collaborative teams, ways to enhance team engagement, and the skills needed to facilitate productive elder abuse case review meetings.

Topics include—

• The Role of the Coordinator
• Facilitation of Case Review Meetings
• Building a Culture of Collaboration
• Enhancing Team Engagement