AARP Florida Joins The Claude Pepper Elder Law Clinic for an Expert Panel During World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

On June 15, AARP Florida joined the Claude Pepper Elder Law Clinic to recognize World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD). Yesterday’s event was kicked off with an opening address to older Floridians from Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, which was then followed by panel discussions featuring leading experts on elder abuse and fraud. The event concluded with closing remarks from Secretary of the Department of Children and Families (DCF), Shevaun Harris.

Watch the full discussion on Facebook Live here

“AARP Florida is proud to participate in educational opportunities held on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day each year. Older Americans are frequently the targets for various forms of abuse,” said AARP Florida State Director Jeff Johnson. “We can help prevent elder abuse by building stronger social structures to support caregivers and the people they care for.”

Every year, WEAAD provides an opportunity for communities around the world to increase awareness about elder abuse and neglect by promoting a better understanding of the impact of cultural, social, economic and demographic processes on the quality of life and overall treatment of older adults in these communities.

“The Claude Pepper Institute on Aging and Public Policy is dedicated to providing outreach activities that address the opportunities and challenges of an aging population,” said Rima Nathan, Director of the Claude Pepper Elder Law Clinic. “World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is an opportunity for us to highlight local resources and share ways for people to recognize and address elder abuse in their communities.”

“The WEAAD event was held in collaboration with FSU’s two on-campus aging centers located in the Pepper Building, the Pepper Institute on Aging and Public Policy which supports FSU research and education to improve and enrich the lives of older adults in our nation and the Claude Pepper Center which seeks to identify policy solutions that enhance the wellbeing of older Floridians and their families,” said Miles Taylor, Director of the Claude Pepper Institute. “Together, these units honor Claude Pepper’s legacy of advocacy and policy making for older adults in our state and beyond.”

AARP encourages every Floridian to join the fight against elder abuse by raising awareness, learning to recognize red flags of abuse, and reporting known or suspected cases of elder abuse. If you are interested in learning about other ways to fight elder abuse, see AARP Florida Advocacy Volunteer opportunities.  

If you know or have reasonable cause to suspect that an older adult is being abused, neglected, exploited, please report your concerns to the Florida Abuse Hotline online or at 1-800-962-2873.