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The Department for the Aging Announces Expansion of City Elder Abuse Service Programs on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

Expansion will add two additional community-based providers in Queens and Brooklyn that will help older victims of abuse.

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the Department for the Aging (DFTA) today announced the expansion of City elder abuse services that help older New Yorkers who suffer from abuse. There are currently five city elder abuse programs in each borough. Through this expansion, the city will have two additional community-based programs in Brooklyn and Queens that will provide support and services to older abuse victims. The announcement was made during World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about the many forms of abuse suffered by older adults. Events were held across the city including a self-defense class in Foley Square in Manhattan and panels, discussions, and awareness events in local older adult centers.

“Older New Yorkers are our moral guides, so it is unconscionable to think so many of them are victims to elder abuse,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “Elder abuse is rarely talked about, but we are recommitting ourselves to protecting and supporting our older New Yorkers and are making clear that older New Yorkers do not have to suffer in silence. Today — on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day — we’re proud to announce that we are expanding our elder abuse services with an additional community-based program in Brooklyn and another in Queens. Our seniors are the backbone of this city, which is why we are doing all we can to ensure that older New Yorkers know where to turn to get help.”

“Our city's older adults are cherished community members, full of experience and wisdom,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “These are our grandparents, our parents, and our aunts and uncles. It is heartbreaking to think of any of them suffering from abuse or mistreatment and underscores why today’s announcement is so important. Thank you to DFTA for your work and to all the community partners working together to support and protect our older New Yorkers and expanding the elder abuse community-based programs.”

“Older New Yorkers who have suffered abuse do not have to go through it alone. We are here to help,” said Department for the Aging Commissioner Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez. “The Department for the Aging and the city can provide you with the support and services you need. With the expansion of elder abuse services, we will have a broader reach to ensure that older New Yorkers do not suffer in silence, but instead have a voice and receive community support.”

Elder abuse can be financial, physical, emotional, or neglect, which includes abandonment or withholding food and medication. Abuse is grossly under-reported by older adults. A New York State study showed that only one in 24 victims of elder abuse report it to the police or a social service agency.

DFTA partners with community-based organizations in each of the city’s five boroughs to help victims of elder abuse. These services include case assistance, crisis intervention, safety planning and counseling. Program staff also work closely with local city police precincts and help victims compile evidence, work with authorities, and seek compensation through the New York State Office of Victim Services. Each year, these community-based programs help about 2,000 older abuse victims. During the COVID-19 city shutdown, these services were provided virtually but have now resumed offering in-person services.

“Older New Yorkers are our parents and grandparents, our friends and neighbors, and they deserve everything we can give them in their venerable golden years,” said New York City Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell. “The men and women of the NYPD work hard every day to prevent the elderly from being victimized – and to relentlessly pursue justice if they are. In every police precinct throughout New York City, NYPD officers remain committed, with their government and community partners, to supporting older New Yorkers and the department is immensely proud on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day to embrace this important expansion of city elder-abuse services.”

“During the pandemic, older New Yorkers experienced unprecedented challenges and barriers in accessing care and assistance, and faced increased levels of isolation,” said Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence Commissioner Cecile Noel. “Our seniors were also particularly vulnerable to abuse at home, in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. We want seniors experiencing domestic and gender-based violence to know help is available. We congratulate DFTA on the expansion of critical programming and look forward to working together in lifting up services for survivors.”

“Elder abuse is an all too common, yet severely underreported and underfunded, issue, said New York City Councilmember Crystal Hudson. “The expansion of citywide initiatives to prevent the abuse of our older neighbors and offer survivors the proper resources to continue living safely and with dignity is an incredibly important step to safeguarding the wellbeing of older adults. It ensures our older neighbors can access vital support networks closer to home and in culturally competent ways, and it bolsters existing programming to guarantee community-based organizations can continue serving their neighborhoods effectively and efficiently.”

“We must prioritize and invest in protecting the most vulnerable New Yorkers — which includes our elders,” said New York City Councilmember Kamillah Hanks. “Elder abuse comes in many forms and raising awareness to it is an imperative step in the process to protecting its victims and survivors. This expansion of services through the Department for the Aging will help provide elder New Yorkers what they need and deserve to live safely.”

“Whether physical, mental, or financial, elder abuse cannot be tolerated," said AARP New York State Director, Beth Finkel. “The Justice Department estimates at least one in 10 older Americans will experience some form of abuse in any given year, and we continue to see new examples of fraud each day. AARP applauds Mayor Adams and DFTA for expanding efforts to protect older New Yorkers from fraud and abuse so New Yorkers can age safely in the city they love.”

“Carter Burden Network is committed to ensuring New York City older adults live safely and securely in our community,” said William J. Dionne, executive director of the Carter Burden Network. “Our dedicated and highly trained social workers work tirelessly to promote elder abuse prevention and awareness, and to protect elder abuse victims and restore the respect and dignity they deserve.”

“As a Bronx-based organization serving older Bronx residents and their families for 40+ years, Neighborhood SHOPP (SHOPP) is pleased to support Mayor Adams and the New York City Department for the Aging Commissioner, Lorraine Cortes-Vazquez, in their announcement of the expansion of city elder abuse service programs on this World Elder Abuse Awareness Day,” said Katherine Martinez, CEO of Neighborhood SHOPP. “SHOPP’s Elder Abuse Violence, Intervention and Prevention (VIP) Program has been in the forefront since 1995 offering specialized and culturally competent services that combats elder abuse, empowers victims, and educates communities. This expansion will allow for a broader reach which is vital for this vulnerable community that many times suffers in silence.”

“LiveOn NY applauds Mayor Adams and the Department for the Aging (DFTA) for their continued leadership in expanding elder abuse services," said Allison Nickerson, executive director at LiveOn NY. “Absolutely no one should experience abuse as they age. In reality, we know that too many older New Yorkers experience victimizations and abuse. The expansion of services through community-based partners, will work to ensure older New Yorkers can age safely and securely across the city, and that all who experience abuse have access to the support and justice they deserve.”

For older adults who suffer crimes committed by strangers, DFTA also provides similar support services through its in-house Elderly Crime Victims Resource Center. Elder crimes include assaults, robberies and online and phone scams that target older adults for money. Scams have been on the rise the last few years. Older New Yorkers are advised to never provide personal information, such as bank account number, social security numbers or credit card information to unsolicited callers. To report elder abuse or elder crime, New Yorkers should call 311 to be connected to services.

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