The health and safety of our seniors is a public policy priority for our state.

The Abuse Later in Life (ALL) Initiative is a project of the Illinois Center for Violence Prevention and focuses on the goal of reducing and preventing instances of violence against men and women over the age of 60. The Center is pleased to release the report: Preventing Abuse Later in Life.

The ALL Strategic Leadership Team, our statewide multi-disciplinary leaders for this effort, has identified this often hidden form of violence as an emerging and urgent issue for Illinois. The number of cases of reported elder abuse has increased by 58 percent between 1997 and 2006. With the number of adults in the state over the age of 60 projected to increase 23 percent between 2010 and 2020, the health and safety of our seniors is a public policy priority for our state.

Despite the increase in the number of reported cases of elder abuse, there is still a lack of prevention strategies and service coordination between systems that deal with the health and welfare of older persons in Illinois. The ALL report outlines the major short and long-term goals of a strategic prevention plan. For more information contact the Center's Executive Director.

Our prioritized goals include:

1. Advocate for and develop intentional cross systems coordination strategies with systems “outside of” the Elder Abuse and Aging Systems, including mental health, substance abuse, parole and probation;

2. Engage the community- health care systems, financial institutions, senior centers, community centers, faith institutions – around the components of healthy living to build an understanding of what it means to be healthy and safe in later years; and

3. Require cross training of domestic violence and sexual assault workers and Elder Abuse and Neglect Program workers.

Although the dissemination of this report marks an important milestone for the ALL initiative, the ALL Strategic Leadership Team will now begin the essential work of moving these goals forward.

Keeping older adults healthy and free from harm is an increasingly important issue that can no longer be overlooked. With a coordinated effort, focused on prevention, we can greatly reduce the instances of elder abuse and help those that have already been or are currently being victimized.