Keeping Seniors Safer at Home: Effects of Isolation on Safety and Clinical Implications of COVID

Every year, UWM’s Helen Bader Office of Applied Gerontology develops and hosts educational events about elder abuse. In 2022, UWM co-presented a webinar on keeping seniors safer at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Presented by Jewish Family Services, Bader Philanthropies, and the Helen Bader School of Social Welfare’s Office of Applied Gerontology.

An older man holding his head and looking distressed toward the floor

During the COVID-19 pandemic, “Safe at Home” has not been the reality for many older adults, despite the necessity to utilize quarantine isolation to protect against COVID infection. In contrast, factors related to the pandemic have created greater vulnerability and risk for many older adults related to elder abuse risk and abandonment by service providers.

Jessica Laughlin, MSW, and Anne David, MSW, will provide an overview of the state of mental health among older adults, considerations for working with survivors of abuse, and recommended ethical and service delivery considerations for direct service programs.

Objectives

  • Participants will understand factors that have increased older adults’ vulnerability during the pandemic.
  • Participants will increase their understanding of clinical skills, including assessment and counseling skills, that are necessary when working with older adults who have experienced abuse.
  • Through a case presentation, participants will understand ethical dilemmas present in the provision and abstinence of in-person services for older adults with mental illness who are at great risk for abuse.

No-cost webinar. 1.5 CEHs available for social workers, LPCs, and MFTs.

Presenters

Portrait of Jessica Laughlin

Jessica Laughlin, MSW
Clinical Extern, Jewish Family Services

Portrait of Anne David

Anne David, LCSW, MSW
Director of Clinical Services, Jewish Family Services

This is a World Elder Abuse Awareness Day event. For more information, visit eldermistreatment.usc.edu/weaad-home/.