Elder Abuse Act Project

Elder Abuse Act Project:  Raising Awareness Through Abuse Prevention and Intervention

Leah McMahon, State Long-Term Care Ombudsman in Colorado, worked with Dr. Sheri Gibson and other professionals to create an educational series on abuse and neglect awareness and prevention. There are multiple episodes of interviews with experts who will provide information and tools to help identify different types of abuse and neglect and what to do about it. This project has been funded by the American Rescue Act and allocated for Elder Justice Act programs including the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program.

Over the past five years the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program has received an increase of complaints about abuse.  Specifically, complaints about physical abuse jumped to the top five complaints received nationally by the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program last year.  These are complaints that family members and residents report when they call the ombudsman program.  Over the last federal reporting year, the Colorado ombudsman program received 253 complaints related to various types of abuse.

While abuse is a critical issue to address, I would like to also highlight how care issues are just as important.  For example, complaints about care include reports from residents regarding delayed care of medical needs, symptoms left unattended, and rough handling.  Poor quality of care alters quality of life for residents and can leave a lasting impact on their lives.

This project is dedicated to all the residents who are survivors of abuse and neglect and to those who have tragically lost their lives due to abuse and neglect. Through education, our goal is to raise awareness to the problem of abuse and neglect so that all residents may live with dignity and free from harm. Thank you for your interest in the educational series and please share them with your community members.

Educational series of videos

Series 1

• Leah McMahon, State Long-Term Care Ombudsman (Introduction)
  • English Captioned | Spanish Captioned
• Dr. Sheri Gibson, Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Geropsychology, instructor and clinical supervisor for the Psychology Department at University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS) and a faculty affiliate with the UCCS Gerontology Center. (Introduction)
  • English Captioned | Spanish Captioned
• Leah McMahon, State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
  • English Captioned | Spanish Captioned

Series 2

• Dr. Sara Qualls, Director of the Gerontology Center at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS)
  • English Captioned | Spanish Captioned
• Jody Barker, Director of Pikes Peak Area
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• Stefanie Woodard, APS and CAPS Check Unit (CCU), Adult Mistreatment Prevention & Response Section, Colorado Office of Adult, Aging and Disability Services
  • English Captioned | Spanish Captioned

Series 3

• Jane Walsh, Chief Deputy in the Denver District Attorney’s Office, Director of Elder and At-Risk Protection Unit
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• Officer James Seneca
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• Cary Johnson, Director of Crime Prevention, First Judicial District Attorney’s office
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• Bob Blancato, National Coordinator of the bipartisan 3000-member Elder Justice Coalition, President of Matz, Blancato and Associates, Executive Director of the National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs
  • English Captioned | Spanish Captioned
• Dr. Sheri Gibson (Closing)
  • English Captioned | Spanish Captioned