PART 1: The Pikes Peak Elder Abuse Coalition has been working to keep vulnerable adults safe for 15 years and that work continues during COVID19 times. Dayton Romero, Chair of the Coalition and Director of Senior Assistance Programs with Silver Key, discusses the extenuating circumstances and challenges being faced during COVID19. Fraud abounds with specific COVID scams and abuse is heightened as people lack support and have more stressors. Learn how the Coalition is meeting the needs.
Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country. We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude whether you’re in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Learn more at Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging.
Transcript:
This is Aging with Altitude. Welcome to all. Brought to you by the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging. We strive to provide answers, assistance, and advocacy into our elders. Please know my guest today and I are sitting about 10 feet apart and practicing the social distance protocol for the coronavirus. I hope you are too.
Thank you for joining us today. Our topic today is elder abuse and how it is increasing during the Coronavirus pandemic. Domestic violence goes up whenever families spend more time together, such as the holidays, long weekends and summer vacations. Seniors have it several ways, physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, financial exploitation, and neglect are all forms of elder abuse. And it can occur in any family or any setting. We are here today to talk about two ways abuse occurs; one through trusted folks like family as there may be more time together, and then there are the more fun scammers.
I am your host Cynthia Margiotta, geriatric social worker and volunteer with The Pikes Peak Area Council of Government Area Agency on Aging. With me today is Dayton Romero. Dayton is the co-chair of the senior abuse coalition and works at Silver Key here at Colorado Springs CO. Silver Key is a non-profit working with seniors doing many things to assist our elders. Dayton joined Silver Key in 2015 and serves as the director of senior assistance programs. He holds a BA in psychology with a minor in gerontology from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. Currently he is pursuing a masters degree In Public Health with a concentration in leadership and public practice at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
He is responsible for overseeing the administration and operations of several programs at Silver Key; including case management, guardianship, behavioral health, food pantry and commodity food programs and Silver Key Silver Line. He also acts as Guardian to court appointed wards and develops partnerships in collaboration with community partners. Dayton has a strong technical knowledge and serves as Silver Key’s senior assistance database administrator and data analysist. Dayton also actively participates on other nonprofit boards of directors and serves as chair of both the Pikes Peak elder abuse coalition and the Colorado coalition for elder rights and abuse profession.
Cynthia - Do you spend anytime at home?
Dayton: I yeah, quite a bit of time and just some being very involved with the community.
Cynthia – You are. you have a lot going on I'm very impressed.
Q - So let's get started with our first question about family or persons and trusted physicians in our lives. I'm sure you've been getting some very distressing calls, showing just how intense psychological as well as physical mistreatment can get when people are kept 24 hours a day together within a reduced space. can you share some stories you have heard? With no names of course.
A
