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HHS Administration for Community Living websites devoted to supporting Elder Justice
National Center on Elder Abuse
National Center on Elder Abuse
 | Authors: Malya Levin, J.D., Elisa Fisher, MPH, MSW |
Elder abuse, like other forms of family violence, most frequently happens at home. Older adults experiencing harm and the professionals working to support them often see a need for temporary housing options where older adults can be safe while simultaneously receiving multilayered services to address the harm they have experienced and begin to heal.1 Domestic violence and homeless shelters are often ill-suited to this population, as they cannot address the medical needs common to many older adults and are nearly impossible to navigate for older adults with cognitive impairment.2,3 Equally important, professionals in these settings typically do not have the expertise to address the unique needs of older adults who have experienced this type of harm.2
Over the last two decades, the elder justice shelter movement has proliferated organically and through localized grassroots efforts in response to this gap in service. For example, The Weinberg Center for Elder Justice at the Hebrew Home at Riverdale, a safe haven program within a skilled nursing facility, opened in 2005 as a result of the Hebrew Home’s CEO meeting a former elder abuse prosecutor, who shared the story of crime victims forced to remain living with the person who caused them harm because they had nowhere else to go. As the Weinberg Center grew and developed, other communities began reaching out to learn how to adapt this model to their own location’s unique needs and resources. In 2013, the SPRiNG Alliance, a professional network of these shelter programs, was created by the Weinberg Center to provide peer support to these programs throughout North America. Still, the programs remained community driven and locally focused, each with its own origin story unique to the circumstances of the community it would come to serve.
The 2024 report, “Need, Access, Impact and Opportunities: Findings from a Multi-Site Evaluation of Elder Justice Shelters in the U.S.” summarizes findings from a two-year project conducted by The New York Academy of Medicine in partnership with the Weinberg Center and supported by an Elder Justice Innovation grant from the Administration for Community Living.4 The report includes findings from interviews with stakeholders—including staff, clients, community-based referral partners, and Adult Protective Services (APS)—affiliated with elder justice shelter programs in diverse communities ranging from New York City to Colorado Springs, CO.
Findings from the report suggest that elder justice shelter programs can contribute to greater safety, improved physical and mental health, better social connections, less recurring APS involvement and greater long-term stability for older adults in need of services. However, the report also finds that many older adults in need do not access shelter services due to numerous barriers to entry. Some barriers are client-driven, as many older adults are hesitant to leave their homes, loved ones, or communities behind; accept “charity;” or enter a skilled nursing facility, even for a temporary stay.
The top recommendations from stakeholders related to expanding access to and utilization of elder justice shelters include:
The report represents a paradigm shift for the elder justice shelter movement. For the first time, the need and potential impact of elder justice shelter has been demonstrated on a national level. However, critical work still remains. We call upon national policymakers and thought leaders to incentivize and enable elder justice shelter proliferation nationwide as a critical component of coordinated community responses to elder mistreatment. Simultaneously, shelter programs must examine barriers to access to further refine best practices and create programs with maximal impact.
1 Olomi, J. M., Wright, N. M., Hasche, L., & DePrince, A. P. (2019). After older adult maltreatment: Service needs and barriers. Journal of gerontological social work, 62(7), 749-761.
2 Brandl, B., Crockett, C., & Davis, J. (2016). A safe place to heal: Addressing the emergency shelter and transitional housing needs of older survivors of abuse. National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life.
3 National Domestic Violence Hotline. (n.d.). When Abuse Tarnishes The Golden Years. Available at: https://www.thehotline.org/resources/domestic-abuse-in-older-adults/
4 Fisher, E., Daniel, S., Gregoire, M. (2024). Need, Access, Impact and Opportunities: Findings from a Multi-Site Evaluation of Elder Justice Shelters in the U.S. The New York Academy of Medicine. Available at: https://www.nyam.org/publications/publication/findings-multi-site-evaluation-elder-justice-shelters-us/
Last Modified: 07/24/2024
