The coalition was founded in 2005 by Silver key Senior Services, the Pikes Peak Area on Aging, and the Colorado Springs Police Department. It was originally known as the Colorado Coalition to Address Abuse in Later Life (CCALL). Bonnie Brandi of the national Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life provided technical assistance.
Members from 10 different agencies began meeting monthly in 2005. Today membership is made up of 21 different agencies and professionals.
In 2013 the name was changed to the Pikes Peak Elder Abuse Coalition (PPEAC). PPEAC focuses on services to people 60 years old or older but many of the laws apply to all at-risk adults and juveniles. Colorado law requires certain professionals to report mistreatment of at-risk elders (people 70 years old or older) and persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities to law enforcement but everyone is strongly urged to report mistreatment of every at-risk person.
Silver Key Senior services has traditionally provided a location for the meetings. The coalition is led by volunteer officers; a Chairperson, a Co-Chairperson, and a Secretary. Personnel from Silver Key, the Colorado Springs Police Department, The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging, and El Paso County Adult Protective Services have traditionally filled the officer positions. The coalition identifies two or three goals each year. Subcommittees are formed as needed to achieve the goals. The Education and Outreach Subcommittee has existed since the coalition started in 2005.
Accomplishments
2005 to Present: The Education and Outreach Committee has conducted community training on elder abuse awareness, mandated reporting, Coffee with a Cop, and senior safety. We conducted 40 trainings to 800 people in 2014 to prepare for mandatory reporting. We have conducted an average of 25 trainings per year to 600 people annually since 2014.
2006: Survey of individuals age 50 and over designed to:
- Identify the need for services not currently offered.
- Expand or otherwise make improvements to existing services.
- Gauge the overall client perception of service offered or received.
- Establish the incidence of elder mistreatment in the community.
- Strengthen efforts to prevent mistreatment of elders.
Those reporting mistreatment after the age of 50 reported emotional abuse most frequently (33.3%) followed by physical abuse (27.1%), financial abuse (22.9%), sexual abuse (10.4%), and neglect (0.6%). Spouses were reported as the most frequent abusers (29.3%) followed by friends (19.5%) and others (14.6%).
2007-2010: $420,000.00 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women to implement Enhanced Training and Services to End Violence and Abuse of Women later in Life. The project supported training law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges in the 4th Judicial District. The Colorado Springs Police Department served as the fiscal agent for the grant. Silver key Senior Services housed the CSPD staff member hired as the Grant Coordinator. Representatives from Silver Key, The Area Agency on Aging, the 4th Judicial District’s District Attorney’s Office, the Colorado Springs Police Department, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, the Probate Magistrate, and TESSA (Our Center for Domestic Violence) conducted 36 2-day training sessions. We trained 838 sworn officers and 80 community members.
2012 to Present: PPEAC has sponsored a World Elder Abuse Day awareness event on or around June 15th.
2015: Representatives from CSPD, Silver Key, APS, and Rocky Mountain PACE gave a presentation at the National Victims of Crime Conference on building a community collaboration. Dr Sheri Gibson and Detective Chuck Szatkowski presented on interviewing people with dementia, investigating abuse of powers of attorney, and executive function to the State APS Conference.
2016 to Present: Established an Elder Shelter program for at-risk adults who are the victims of mistreatment. Nine skilled nursing facilities and 5 assisted living facilities provide emergency shelter. DHS has worked to expedite Medicaid applications. The program has shelter 122 people as on 04/12/2019.
2019 Guardianship Volunteer Advocate Program: The program is designed to expand the capacity of professional guardians in order to serve the growing number of incapacitated persons who need a decision-maker in their lives and to increase the number of individuals who can be served. The first session trained 20 people.
