VCU College of Health Professions

The Greater Richmond Elder Justice Shelter Initiative

65% of elder abuse cases occurred within the elder’s own home and almost half the time by a family member (Virginia APS, 2024). Home can quickly become the least safe place for an older adult, especially for those at greater risk of elder mistreatment (Dong et al., 2014; Bolkan et al., 2023).

Many legal solutions are arduous and time-consuming, leaving elders with no choice but to remain in an unsafe environment. This can lead to elders cycling through services and systems while the mistreatment remains unresolved (Levin et al., 2020). Such as, frequent visits to the emergency department (ED), use of multiple differents EDs, repeat visits to the ED at short intervals, and low-urgency ED visits (Rosen et al., 2023).

The Greater Richmond Elder Justice Shelter Initiative is a partnership led by the Virginia Center on Aging and VCU Gerontology in collaboration with CARITAS, DARS and No Wrong Door Virginia, Homeward and the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care, and the Span Center Area Agency on Aging. We will also coordinate a series of work groups focusing on the following project objectives: Housing Strategy, Service Coordination, Volunteer Care Team, Workforce Support and Sustainability.

We will establish, pilot, and evaluate an innovative decentralized elder shelter model serving the greater Richmond region. This model will include strategies for emergency and transitional housing needs, incorporating wrap-around services for older adults ages 60+, including those with disabilities, who have experienced abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

This program is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $595,310, with 80% funded by ACL/HHS and 20% funded by non-government source(s). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.