MPH Student Helps Improve Local Services to Victims of Elder Abuse

ALBANY, N.Y. (November 30, 2021) – An MPH/MSW student recently assisted an initiative to develop elder abuse multi-disciplinary teams in the Capital Region—teams that monitor and track services provided to victims, identify gaps in service, and work to create systemic change.

Working for LifePath in partnership with the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York, MPH/MSW student Taylor Perre helped with the development of the Albany County Elder Abuse Multi-Disciplinary Team. The team includes legal entities, domestic violence agencies, Adult Protective Services, Senior-serving agencies, and other professionals who can assist in resolving issues related to elder abuse.

“It was exciting to see so many people from different disciplines interested in being a part of the team,” says Perre. “It reiterated the importance of networking and building relationships with others in the community who are doing similar or related work. I have learned this work can be difficult, but it is very important.”

Perre also played a critical role in drafting the policy and procedure handbook to help guide the team’s work.

“Elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation are widespread yet underreported, and it can be complicated to try to prevent,” Perre explains. “Coming together with an elder abuse multi-disciplinary team enables our community to better help bring justice and prevent further abuse or exploitation from occurring.”

This project is part of a statewide initiative to develop elder abuse multi-disciplinary teams. The Albany County team will serve as a foundation to guide development of teams in Schenectady, Rensselaer, Columbia, and Greene counties.

Perre had applied to intern with LifePath due to an interest in learning more about older adults and resources available for them in the community. The position solidified her desire to work in policy or programming that benefits older adults.

“My mentor exposed me to a lot of new experiences and new information, and this internship solidified my interest serving this population,” says Perre. “Elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation are social, health, and economic issues. We are all aging and will hopefully all be older adults someday. These issues will not go away on their own.”