Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

W3191 Multistate Project:  Elder Financial Exploitation Annual Meeting Day 1 (8.31.18)

Attending:  Cory Bolkan, Pamela Teaster, Marlene Stum, Virginia Vincenti, Don Rudisuhle, Axton Betz-Hamilton, Ashton Chapman, Cole Ehmke and Cindy Jasper

1. Bronfenbrenner Model: We discussed our used a modified Bronfenbrenner model to frame our collective efforts. In response to Bronfenbrenner’s updated model, we explored specifically adapting the Process-Person-Context-Time (PPCT) Model. 

Time/Process: We discussed the distinctions between time and process, and brainstormed specific examples of process that may be relevant to our collective work (e.g. family relationships, history of abuse, gatekeeping, history of exchanges and family stress).  We also discussed that perhaps we are best able to capture time at this stage by utilizing retrospective and prospective data.  There may also be secondary datasets which will allow us to examine elder financial exploitation longitudinally.

Macrosystem:  We brainstormed several possible examples of the macrosystem that we might include (e.g. cultural values, norms and economic systems).

Microsystem:  We discussed who might fit best in the microsystem of our model (e.g. victim, perpetrators and families).  There was some discussion whether the PPCT model is actually the best fit for us given that we are not all focused on one person’s individual development.

Next Steps:  We should look at models used by other researchers and determine our project’s unique contributions (e.g. family systems perspective, family complexity and data collection from multiple family members).

2. Meeting with Brent Eldrod, NIFA: The USDA and DOJ are holding a Rural Elder Justice Summit in Des Moines, IA on Nov 14^th and 15^th. Members of our group may be asked to talk at this event.   Brent shared a preliminary agenda for the meeting (this should only be shared with project members at this point).  Also, Brent shared that group members may receive access the Medicare database.
3. Individual Updates

Marlene and Axton are working on a joint project that emphasize the family system by considering the perspective of multiple family members (and recognizing that there may multiple victims and perpetrators in the same family).

Ginny, Axton, Bernard, and Cole are working on a joint project regarding risk and protective factors within families when older adults have appointed power of attorneys. Cole is working specifically on developing print materials to add an extension effort.

Don, Pam and Cory are working on a project on the role of opioids in financial exploitation.   Don has used a web crawler to look at over 7,000 articles related to financial exploitation.

Axton asked us to brainstorm ideas for recruitment for her project.

Pam and Cory received funds from the Retirement Research Foundation for their project on abuse of vulnerable adults by surrogate decision makers.

Ashton received funds from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to examine rural older adults’ health and well-being.

Megan completed a community-based elder abuse needs assessment in Iowa by collecting data from over 200 professionals who work with older adults and their families.

4. Prep for next meeting (9.7.18)

We should read additional elder abuse literature. Also, Ashton shared that there are slides at the end of the Tudge’s talk she shared which we can use to fill information from our own project. 

W3191 Multistate Project:  Elder Financial Exploitation Annual Meeting Day 2 (9.7.18)

Attending:  Cory Bolkan, Marlene Stum, Virginia Vincenti, Don Rudisuhle, Axton Betz-Hamilton, Ashton Chapman, Cole Ehmke and Cindy Jasper

1. Next Meetings: We are not meeting as a large group in September and December. Instead, we should check in with our subgroups.

Annual Meeting (Thinking Ahead) We discussed of a having an in-person annual meeting.  The second week of May was discussed as a possible time.  We also discussed Minneapolis as a possible location.  Marlene is going to look into logistics (e.g. housing, transportation, etc.).  We should check our schedules for times and dates that will not work.  Also, we should check with our home institutions regarding when travel funds for the meeting are available.

2. Reporting: Our group annual report is approaching.  Also, we will need to create an report for our 2018 annual meeting.  Cory and Axton will take lead on generating these documents.  We should send Cory our individual updates (e.g. publications, conference presentations, grants, webinars, etc.) asap. 
3. Meeting with Brent Eldrod, NIFA: Update on USDA and DOJ Rural Elder Justice Summit in Des Moines, IA on Nov 14^th and 15^th. Pam and Megan are both planning to attend the summit.  The thematic area where our work will likely be highlighted is “Strength of Rural Communities.”  We discussed the level of the involvement that the groups could/should have in the summit. 
4. PPCT Model: We spent the majority of our time discussing how our individual projects and the overall group work might fit into a PPCT model.  An idea developed of using the PPCT to explain elder financial exploitation more generally.   We discussed the possibility of writing a theoretical paper as a group and possible planning a conference symposium ( maybe GSA?).

For next steps, we should all review existing models of elder financial abuse more generally (and perhaps other types of violence).  Specially, we should consider work which has applied an ecological model- and identity ways that our proposed model pushes this work in new directions.  (We did not think that there was work that has used the PPCT model to frame elder financial exploitation.)

Minor note:  The group had been using RefWorks to share work.  Some group members indicated that they no longer use this package (but can access it).  In the future, we should decide what is the best mechanism for us to share work with each other.

W3191 Accomplishments Since the Last Annual Meeting

Short-term Outcomes. As indicated in our outputs (listed below) we participated in a number of education and outreach opportunities which targeted researchers, professionals who work with older adults, as well as community members. This work helps to increase recognition and detection of elder financial exploitation, which ultimately reduces costs to families, communities, and society.

Outputs. We list below our annual outputs in terms of presentations, publications, grant funding, and publications.

Presentations:

• Betz-Hamilton, A., & Vincenti, V.B. (2018, May). Beyond estate planning: What families need to proactively prepare for success during late-life dependency. Peer-reviewed webinar presentation for the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Virtual Professional Development Program.
• Steinman, B. A., Betz-Hamilton, A. E., Bolkan, C. R., Jasper, C. R., Stum, M. S., Teaster, P. B., and Vincenti, V. B. (2017). Risk and Protective Factors for Elder Financial Exploitation by Family Member Power of Attorney Agents. International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics conference.
• Stum, M. (May, 2018).  Changing the Culture of Under Reporting Elder Family Financial Exploitation to Improve Health.  National Health Outreach Conference:  Minneapolis, MN.
• Stum, M. (June, 2018).  A view from inside: Experiencing elder family financial exploitation.  World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.  Minneapolis, MN. 
• Vincenti, V. (13 June 2018). What We Know: Family Risk & Protective Factors Affecting the Likelihood of Elder Family Financial Exploitation (EFFE). Groves Conference on Marriage and Family. Portland, ME.
• Vincenti, V. (17 October 2017). Social Justice Scholars Panelist. 10^th Year Celebration. Change the Conversation: Change the Narrative. University of Wyoming.
• Vincenti, V. B. (14 September 2017). Elder Financial Exploitation by Relatives with Powers of Attorney. Community Program. St. Paul’s United Church of Christ. Laramie, WY.
• Hartnett, A., Rudisuhle, D., Kohm, K. (2017, October) Diminished Capacity and Senior Clients: What Steps Compliance Can Take to Protect its Firm and the Client. Webinar for investment advisers presented by Ascendant Compliance Management.

Publications:

• Betz-Hamilton, A. (2018). Challenges and strategies associated with recruiting participants for family financial exploitation research. Consumer Interests Annual, 64.
• Betz-Hamilton, A. and Vincenti, V. B. (2018). Risk Factors within Families Associated with Elder Financial Exploitation by Relatives with Powers of Attorney. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences. 110 (1): 19-27.
• Teaster, P. B., Vincenti, V., Betz-Hamilton, A., Bolkan, C. and Jasper, C. (2018). Themes from Elder Financial Exploitation by Family Member Powers of Attorney. In Gender, Sexual Identity, and Families: The Personal Is Political.  Co-editors: Lyness, K. & Fischer, J. (Monograph, vol. 6). (accepted)

Grants:

• Betz-Hamilton, A. (2018). Exploration of the risk and protective factors associated with elder family financial exploitation (EFFE). South Dakota State University Foundation Women and Giving Grant. ($1,200.00).
• Betz-Hamilton, A. and Vincenti, V. B. (2017). Elder Family Financial Exploitation: Risk and Protective Factors within Families. Alumni Research Grant, Phi Upsilon Omicron, Inc. $2,500.
• Ehmke, C., and Vincenti, V. CRIS (Current Research Information System), Based on WY Multistate Project. June, 2018-May 2019. $3600.
• Teaster, P., Bolkan, C., Ramsey-Klawsnik, H., & Gerow, K. The Abuse of Vulnerable Older Adults by Surrogate Decision Maker Perpetrators. Retirement Research Foundation ($154,000).
• Vincenti, V., Betz-Hamilton, A., & Chapman, A. (2018-2021). Understanding elder family financial exploitation (EFFE): Identifying risk and protective factors. Kappa Omicron Nu New Initiatives Grant. ($9,000.00).

Activities. Multistate team participants are engaged in multiple types of scholarly and outreach activities that include grantwriting, data collection, data analyses, outreach, and publication.

Milestones. The multistate team has a number of key milestones for achieving and delivering additional outputs of our project. During the next year, the team plans to: (a) participate in the NIFA/DOJ sponsored national summit on Rural & Tribal Elder Justice; (b) develop a socioecological theoretical model for elder financial exploitation for publication and presentation at a national conference; (c) continue data collection, data cleaning, and data analyses; and (d) continue to publish results.  

• Betz-Hamilton, A. (2018). Challenges and strategies associated with recruiting participants for family financial exploitation research. Consumer Interests Annual, 64.
• Betz-Hamilton, A. and Vincenti, V. B. (2018). Risk factors within families associated with elder financial exploitation by relatives with powers of attorney. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences, 110(1), 19-27.
• Teaster, P. B., Vincenti, V., Betz-Hamilton, A., Bolkan, C. and Jasper, C. (2018). Themes from elder financial exploitation by family member powers of attorney. In Gender, Sexual Identity, and Families: The Personal Is Political.  Co-editors: Lyness, K. & Fischer, J. (Monograph, vol. 6). (accepted)