Safeguarding Older Adults
All individuals deserve to be free from all forms of abuse. Centralina Area Agency on Aging receives funding for elder abuse prevention, including recognizing abuse and unintentional abusive behavior. If you feel an older or disabled adult that you care about is experiencing any form of abuse, neglect or financial exploitation, contact the Department of Social Services in the county where they reside to learn about how Adult Protective Services might help.
Our Ombudsman Program advocates for and protects the rights of those living in long-term care facilities. While the Ombudsman Program does not directly investigate allegations of elder mistreatment, we collaborate closely with many agencies that investigate abuse, neglect or exploitation.
How We Promote Elder Abuse Awareness
Presentations & Training
Our team delivers informative presentations and training to the community. The Ombudsman Program staff conducts educational in-services for long-term care facility staff upon request. Training for Adult Care Home staff includes CEU credit.
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Events
We celebrate World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) annually on June 15. This worldwide celebration involves a variety of events to increase awareness, including educational seminars, scam prevention events and more. Contact us for more information.
Elder Abuse Task Force Participation
We partner with local interdisciplinary teams to combat elder mistreatment. Also, we are an active member of the Cabarrus County Adult Protection Network and the Lincoln County Multi-Disciplinary Team.
What To Do If You Suspect Abuse
N.C. Department of Insurance Partner
We partner with the N.C. Department of Insurance to help educate the public on how to avoid Medicare-related scams and fraud. The Senior Medicare Patrol Project is a preventive educational program that aims to reduce Medicare error, fraud, and abuse through educational and promotional activities that encourage reporting discrepancies by Medicare beneficiaries and caregivers to the NCSMP Program.