Event will honor Community Champions
From Aging and Disability Services:
Gatekeeper Program celebrates 20 years protecting vulnerable seniors and disabled from abuse and neglect
Multnomah County Department of Human Services’ Aging and Disability Services Division will recognize “Community Champions,” the individuals and organizations who work to protect vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities from abuse and neglect.
Multnomah County’s nationally recognized Gatekeeper Program has successfully operated for the past twenty years, training more than 25,000 individuals and businesses to spot warning signs concerning at-risk seniors and adults with disabilities. Gatekeepers represent numerous occupations and industries including bank tellers, meter readers, letter carriers, and firefighters.
“Their participation has not only enhanced quality of life for many vulnerable adults, but has directly saved lives,” states Multnomah County Commissioner Maria Rojo de Steffey.
In 2006, Multnomah County Adult Protective Services conducted 3,267 investigations involving seniors and adults with disabilities. Abuse takes many different forms and can include physical harm, failure to provide basic care, unwanted sexual contact, financial exploitation, verbal or mental abuse, involuntary seclusion, abandonment by caregiver, or self-neglect that leads to harm.
The Community Champions event will be held:
Thursday, October 25, 2007
12:00 noon to 1:00 pm
Multnomah Building
First floor Boardroom
501 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, OR 97214
Report abuse and neglect of seniors and people with disabilities 24 hours a day in Multnomah County. Call Multnomah County Aging & Disability Services’ Helpline at 503-988-3646.
The following 2007 Community Champions will be honored:
Michael Wolff, Store Manager for New Seasons, noticed a 92-year-old man who became disoriented while shopping. Wolff not only gave him a ride home, but went the extra step by calling Aging and Disability Services (ADS) Helpline to make sure someone would look in on him over the weekend.
Marlene Burke and Robert Wheeler are neighbors to an 82-year-old widower with health challenges and no local family. They have been looking after him for many years and notified ADS Helpline when they had to leave the area for a family obligation. Their concern and the results of alerting ADS lead to a life-saving visit to the emergency room.
Dolores Hubert has volunteered with the Long Term Care Ombudsman’s office since 1992 and is an advocate for residents at three nursing facilities, ten adult foster care homes and three assisted living facilities. Dolores has been known to show up at midnight to check facility staffing. She monitored room temperatures during winter and summer at one facility, reported violations, and exerted pressure until the facility replaced a nonfunctioning heating/cooling system.
Jack Bishop is a Personal Advocate volunteer with Elders in Action working to assure justice for victims of crime, help those who are having difficulty navigating the judicial system and provide ongoing support and a listening ear. In the past 8 years, Jack has assisted over 40 individuals who have been victims of crime or elder abuse.
Posted on October 22, 2007
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