Julie McKitrick of Adult Protective Services, back left, and Danbury Senior Center Manager, Paula Shenkel, front right, stand with some of the seniors who attended the June 25 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day event. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

BY SHERI TRUSTY

MARBLEHEAD – Julie McKitrick of Adult Protective Services, the Ottawa County Task Force on Aging, and Ottawa County Senior Resources hosted an ice cream social and informational event in honor of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day at Danbury Senior Center on June 25. The event was organized to educate seniors on scams they may face in everyday life.

“We want to protect the dignity, safety, and well-being of older adults,” McKitrick said. “Raising awareness is one of the most powerful tools to prevent exploitation.”

The seniors went home with folders full of resources, including instructions on making an action plan to follow if they experience a potential scam. The action plan encouraged them to write down the names and phone numbers of trusted friends or family they can call for advice.

“You need to pause, think about it, and run it by a trusted friend,” McKitrick said.

Carol Prucha enjoys an ice cream sundae at the Danbury Senior Center on June 25. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

Ottawa County Commissioner Donald Douglas presented a proclamation at the event. Also in attendance were Commissioner Mark Coppeler; Magruder Hospital Community Outreach & Physician Recruitment Director, Rachel Fall; Ottawa County Senior Resources Program Coordinator, Kim Sedlak; Danbury Senior Center Manager, Paula Shenkel; Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office Detective, TJ Woolf; Ottawa County Health Department Supervisor of Health Education and Community Engagement, Michelle Veliz; Ottawa County Health Department Health Educator & Creating Healthy Communities Coordinator, Melanie Herron; and Family Advocacy Center GrandLove Program Coordinator, Judy Peters.

Denise Zanni, an attorney with Legal Aid of Western Ohio and a member of the task force, was the event’s guest speaker. She said financial exploitation is a main focus of the task force, and she explained that older adults are targeted in an effort to steal their retirement savings and because seniors often live alone and are sometimes not as knowledgeable about technology as younger generations.

Attending the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day event at the Danbury Senior Center were, from left, Ottawa County Commissioner Donald Douglas, Legal Aid Attorney Denise Zanni, Julie McKitrick of Adult Protective Services, Danbury Senior Center Manager Paula Shenkel, and Commissioner Mark Coppeler. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

“But any of us, no matter what age you are, call fall prey to a scammer,” Zanni said.

The task force is committed to empowering seniors in the fight against exploitation.

“Together, collectively, we’re trying to work on the issue to protect older adults in Ottawa County,” Zanni said.

For more information on the Ottawa County Task Force on Aging, visit https://ocpjcourt.com/taskForce.php.