What to Consider When Creating an Elder Protection Team?

1. Defining the responsibilities and functions of the team such as:
   1. How often meetings are held (e.g., monthly)
   2. Location and time (e.g., Senior Center- meeting room at 6pm)
   3. Who chairs meetings (e.g., senior wellness director, etc.)
   4. Defining how client information will be recorded (e.g., each department will keep own records)
2. Defining criteria of membership and affiliation:
   1. Requirements for meeting attendance (e.g., each department selects a representative)
   2. Clearly agreed upon EPT protocols for addressing Elder abuse
   3. Limitations of report sharing (e.g., each members signs confidentiality agreement)
   4. How confidentiality will be maintained
3. Defining purpose of the EPT meeting:
   1. Case review (e.g., each department reports case status to team)
   2. Intervention (e.g., coordination of resources by local senior/Elder programs and other team members)
   3. Prosecution (e.g., implementing Tribal Elder Abuse Code(s), roles of law enforcement and the court)
   4. Prevention of Elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation
4. Defining roles and responsibilities of members:
   1. Define each team member’s role (e.g., response protocol and mandatory reporting)
   2. Training needs and requirements
   3. Identify relevant jurisdictional issues (e.g., PL-280 state, tribal, federal, etc.)
5. Defining community awareness and prevention procedures for example:
   1. How will information be disseminated into the community? (e.g., holding press conferences, distributing informational pamphlets)
   2. Community outreach activities to address awareness of Elder abuse, development of an Elder abuse support group or coalition, meeting your elderly neighbors, and initiating projects with local schools.