In honor of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, which will be observed on Thursday, June 15, the Guilford County Family Justice Center’s Elder Justice Committee is asking people in the county to send in nominations for the 2023 Elder Justice Champion Award.
The award was established to recognize and celebrate the efforts of “an individual, agency, or business that has gone above and beyond to foster a safer community for older adults.”
According to statistics from the National Center on Elder Abuse, this type of abuse happens more than people may realize. In the US, roughly one in 10 people aged 60 and over have experienced some form of elder abuse, which can be either intentional or unintentional.
Elder abuse can also take various forms. It can be physical, psychological, emotional or sexual, and it can involve neglect, abandonment or financial exploitation.
The call for nominations explains the nature and history of the local group behind the award: “Since 2014,the Guilford County Family Justice Center has led an elder abuse collaborative called the Elder Justice Committee. The committee is composed of over 20 agencies, including Guilford County Health and Human Services, Guilford County Sheriff’s Office, Greensboro Police Department, High Point Police Department, and other agencies centered on patient advocacy, legal services, and residential care. The focus of the committee is to increase education, resources, and response to elder abuse.”
If you want to learn more about the committee – and see previous Elder Justice Champion Award recipients – visit guilfordcountync.gov/fjc.
The 2023 Elder Justice Champion Award nomination form is available online. Award nominations can be submitted by anyone. Nominations will be taken through Thursday, June 8, and the winners will be announced on Tuesday, June 20.
The 2022 Elder Justice Champion recipient, Kevin Kattmann, is pictured above. He’s a member of the Missions Committee at Starmount Presbyterian Church where he created a “Handy Hands group” to assist people with small tasks such as changing high light bulbs and installing handicap ramps at homes.
To learn more about the Guilford County Family Justice Center, visit guilfordcountync.gov/fjc or contact Elder Justice Specialist Coordinator Heather Magill at 336-641-7233.
You can also follow the Guilford County Family Justice Center on Facebook.
