News Release

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May 8, 2006

Summit Looks at Topics of Elder Abuse and Exploitation

The Center for the Study of Aging at Boise State University will cosponsor the Idaho Summit on Elder Abuse and Exploitation May 24 and 25 at the Nampa Civic Center. May 24 features speakers who will provide an interdisciplinary perspective on elder abuse for professionals; May 25, sponsored by the AARP, is aimed at the public and explores a variety of scams aimed at seniors.

Registration for the event, which is free, is available online at http://aging.boisestate.edu  or by calling (208) 381-1501; continuing education credits are available.

The first day of the summit, which runs from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., will focus on issues faced by professionals working with older, vulnerable adults. Topics include screening, identification, interviewing techniques, evidence collection and prosecution of abuse and exploitation cases. Day two, from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., focuses on identity theft, phishing, international lottery scams, look-alike charities, investment frauds and more.

Speakers include Paul Greenwood, deputy district attorney for San Diego County, Calif.; Linda Phillips, director of the Arizona Geriatric Education Center and co-director of the Arizona Center on Aging; Lisa Gibbs, assistant clinical professor at the University of California, Irvine; Anthony Pratkanis, professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and coauthor of “Weapons of Fraud: A Source Book for Fraud Fighters”; and David Kessler, with the Child and Elder Protection Section of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.

By the year 2030, 20 percent of Americans and 18 percent of Idahoans will be age 65 or older. Currently, more than 3,000 suspected cases of adult abuse are reported to Idaho authorities each year. As the population ages, this number is expected to increase.

Conference cosponsors include St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center, Idaho Department of Finance, Idaho Commission on Aging, Ada County Guardian Monitoring Program, Idaho State University Senior HealthMobile, Idaho Peace Officers’ Standards and Training, Better Business Bureau, Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) and the Idaho Department of Insurance.

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Contact: Holly Beard, Center for the Study of Aging, (208) 426-4028, hollybeard@boisesetate.edu 
Media Contact: Kathleen Craven, University Communications, (208) 426-3275, kcraven@boisestate.edu

May is “Return to Learn” month at Boise State University. “Return to Learn” is a campuswide effort to provide information for those who may be considering taking classes from the university and help them learn about the best options for returning to school and earning a degree. For more information call (208) 562-3127 or click returntolearn.boisestate.edu.

 

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Last reviewed on Wednesday, January 03, 2007