Hometown Hero Iris Freeman: An Unassuming Champion

By Mackenzie Bledsoe

Iris Freeman doesn’t consider herself to be a leader in the community, rather humbly admitting it is "something other people call me." Yet, her lifetime of work fighting for elder justice is extraordinary. Freeman currently serves as the president of the Elder Justice Center and is an adjunct professor at William Mitchell School of Law. Her involvement outside these two commitments is extensive. She also

serves on the Board of Directors of the Metro Area Agency on Aging and the Board of Trustees of the Care Providers of Minnesota Foundation. Beyond that, she is a member of the Public Policy Committee of the National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the National Adult Protective Services Association.

Freeman's desire to help others, specifically the elderly, started at a young age. She grew up in New Jersey and spent a lot of time with her grandparents, during which she witnessed firsthand some of the hospital issues they were facing. Even at a young age she remembers understanding people didn’t deserve to be treated that way. Her experiences growing up so close to her grandparents taught her lessons she still uses in her teachings and life today.

“I learned conversational phrases in several languages spoken by people in our New Jersey neighborhood after World War II.”  Her grandpa’s language lessons taught her how “people are happier to talk with you when you make an effort to say things they understand.” She also learned from her grandma to first eat and then talk. “If someone is distracted or hungry, they can't listen to you.”

Freeman incorporates these little lessons from her grandparents in her classes today at William Mitchell and hopes they will serve her students in their careers.

“I enjoy telling the story of the work.  The words of a law as it was enacted tell us what is expected in, for example, an investigation of alleged financial exploitation.  But those words are the product of a history that includes earlier versions, statements of need, disagreements among stakeholders, public funding decisions, public opinion, and more.  I promise you that this makes some fairly dry, complex reading a lot more colorful and vivid.”

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Beyond her grandparents' influence in her career, Freeman acknowledges her graduate school field placement supervisor, Margaret Sandberg, unintentionally guided her into public policy advocacy.

“I don't think I'd ever been in the State Capitol before I worked with Margaret.  Social work at the Policy level turned out to be my niche for the next 40 years.”

Since finding her niche, Freeman has tackled large policy issues for elders and continues to educate people about elder justice. By educating others, there is hope to raise awareness about vulnerable adults in Minnesota. According to Adult Protective Services, 35,877 reports of vulnerable adults in Minnesota experiencing abuse, neglect and financial exploitation were filed in 2014. Freeman explained though the number of reports are going up each year, the reports give “a basis and authority to respond to victims”. A lot of cases are never reported.

Freeman’s job isn’t always easy to do; it can take generations to make progress on policy issues, and families often want to keep issues confidential or don’t know where to get help. This is why the Elder Justice Center was created: to raise public awareness, give professional education and practice, and to help with public policy.

The center thrives off of collaboration. Other organizations such as Wells Fargo and AARP Minnesota have contributed financial resources toward establishing the center noting the impact it has on combating senior fraud. Together, the organizations can learn facets of the system and have more opportunities to collaborate and learn from one another.

The work Freeman and other elder advocates do is important. “Justice demands that we not only provide safety for the elder, and accountability for those who have hurt them. We must continue to be aware of and respond to the effects of these injuries on the victim.”

If you are interested in learning more about the Elder Justice Center register to attend World Elder Abuse Awareness Day at William Mitchell College of Law on Friday, June 12, 2015. Registration is available at elderjusticemn.org.

 

Mackenzie Bledsoe is a junior at Hamline University majoring in Communication Studies with a Nonprofit Management minor. She enjoys exploring the Twin Cities on foot, bike and lawn chair, checking out the many festivals and concerts the state has to offer. Kenzie has been interning at AARP MN since February 2015.