News
Forensic Nursing, Needs Assessment Status, and 2 years of the Elder Justice Alliance
The April meeting kicked off with Office of Senior Services Director Sheila Cote discussing the 2 years of work by the Macomb County Elder Justice Alliance. She highlighted our wide range of participating agencies, work of our subcommittees, and the opportunities presented by the $750,000 DoJ Office on Violence Against women grant.
Our coordinator Emily Shanke gave an update on the needs assessment for professionals. We already have 115 completed surveys. She also discussed the distribution plan for the surveys for seniors. Over 50 surveys were given to members for distribution already, with the primary distribution to occur over the following weeks.
Additionally we had reports from our prevention subcommittee on committee conversations. The MDT also breifly discussed their work. Several attendees spoke on work they are doing and shared information including James Karagon discussing his house calls for mental health.
We also had a presentation by Brenda Dzierzawski who is a forensic nurse who works with Turning Point. She went over what services Turning Point can provide, what role forensic nursing plays in elder abuse prevention and response, and answered several questions.
Presentation by Michigan Long Term Ombudsman Program
MCEJA's January meeting had a full agenda. A member of the Prosecuting Attorney's Association of Michigan gave a State legislative update. The leadership team gave updates on the DoJ grant, timeline for the bylaws, the plan for the needs assessment and an update from the subcommittees. Additionally there was a presentation on lived experience recruitment.
The primary presentation was from 3 representatives from the Michigan Long Term Care Ombudsman Program.
Elder Justice Alliance DoJ Grant in the News
Macomb Daily has done a write up on our selection for the grant which can be read here
Macomb Elder Justice Alliance awarded a $750K Department of Justice grant – Macomb Daily
MCEJA Partners Awarded $750,000 from Department of Justice
The Macomb County Office of Senior Services (OSS) and its partners, who are all members of the in the Elder Justice Alliance, have been awarded a $750,000 Training and Services Grant from the Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women.
“These resources will connect Macomb County with national experts on elder abuse to train all parts of the criminal justice system. It will be transformational for the community and provide support services to older adults who have been abused or exploited and place their needs at the center of our community’s response. We are so grateful to our committed partners in law enforcement and community resources who are the major partners and will be integral to the training and development of policies that will help to transform the current response to elder abuse.” - Sheila Cote, Director Macomb County OSS
The full press release is available here.
Prevention Team's first Community Conversation on Senior Isolation
On September 3rd Mount Clemens Residents and community leaders joined members of our Prevention Team to discuss senior isolation, identify barriers and potential solutions as well as share resources with each other.
Multidisciplinary Team Training Conference
In June 2024, Lisa Nerenberg and Trudy Gregorie national experts on elder abuse, addressed MCEJA members on multidisciplinary teams and shared best and promising practices for the prevention and intervention of elder abuse and exploitation.
Presentation by Michigan Attorney General
During our April 2024 meeting Attorney General Nessel gave a presentation on recent trends, new rules and proposed legislation related to elder abuse, conservatorship, scams and other related issues.
She also answered several questions from members during a Q and A session.
Fighting against financial scams in Macomb County
Working to turn the tide of financial scams against seniors. Financial scams targeting seniors are on the rise. According to a report by the National Council on Aging there were more than 88,000 complaints of fraud against people age 60 and older in 2022, amounting to more than $3 billion in losses.
Task Force presentation on financial exploitation
Macomb County Elder Justice Alliance January 2024 meeting included a presentation by Dr. Lichtenberg from Wayne State University on financial exploitation investigation and prevention as well as Wayne State University's SAFE program.
New Task Force
Efforts heightened to improve protections of senior citizens in Macomb County, state. Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel's administration is creating an elder abuse task force, four years after the state created one, while a local state lawmaker has introduced legislation to require certification of court-appointed guardians and conservators.
Schedule
Elder Justice Alliance Meeting Schedule
All meetings will be at 10:00AM in the Robert A. Verkuilen building (21855 Dunham rd, Clinton Township, MI 48036) unless otherwise noted.
13 May 2025 - Prevention Subcommittee in the cafeteria
10 June 2025 - Prevention Subcommittee in the cafeteria