Contact: Megan Thompson, Director of External Relations – 216-658-1881, mthompson@elizabryant.org
Cleveland, OH – Eliza Bryant Village’s Elder Justice Center is the winner of the 2021 DomesticShelters.org Purple Ribbon Award for Most Innovative Service. The Award was presented at the September 15, 2021 inaugural Purple Ribbon Awards Celebration, hosted by award-winning filmmaker Angela Shelton.
Theresa’s Fund, DomesticShelters.org and national experts have combined efforts to develop and launch this new, comprehensive awards program honoring the countless heroes of the domestic violence movement, including advocates, programs, shelters, survivors and members of the community support system. Purple Ribbon Awards are reviewed, judged and scored by a national panel of respected professionals from the domestic violence field. Winners earn Purple Ribbon medallion, national recognition and the chance at up to $30,000 in grants. Learn more by visiting http://purpleribbonawards.org/.
We are committed to addressing elder abuse and supporting survivors of abuse in Ohio. Our Elder Justice Center is a response to the growing incidence of elder abuse experienced by many older adults. The National Center on Elder Abuse reports that one in ten seniors are victims of elder abuse, a number that has only increased during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Since opening the Elder Justice Center in December 2019, we have connected 69 seniors to much-needed community support programs and have hosted 23 guests in-house, the average stay of each being 4 months. We remove seniors from unsafe living environments and provide safe, temporary refuge in a secure living environment, while also providing social, legal, physical and mental health supports. The EJC offers a trauma-informed model of care that includes therapeutic support provided in a person-centered framework by our supportive, multidisciplinary team. One former EJC guest stated, “Our generation was raised ‘you don’t talk about it.’ You act as if it didn’t happen. You don’t have time to digest what you are going through because each day is a constant struggle. Here, you can focus on you.” We help them process their trauma and begin healing from that trauma, so they can grow their self-confidence and live a life free from the threat of violence and exploitation.
While all Elder Justice Center guests to date have been economically disadvantaged seniors living in the Northeast Ohio region, we welcome any older American resident of Ohio experiencing abuse. The privacy of all seniors is carefully protected and all are treated with respect and dignity.
Elder Abuse by the Numbers:
Ohio’s Department of Job and Family Services reported that from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020, a total of 33,783 reports of abuse, neglect and exploitation were received by Ohio’s county departments of job and family services for adults 18 years of age and over. Of the 33,783 reports, 32,072 were reports for adults age 60 and over.
- Up to five million older Americans are abused every year. (National Council on Aging, February 2021)
- 3.5 million older adults are financially exploited each year. (Consumer Affairs, July 2021)
- The annual loss by victims of financial abuse is estimated to be at least $36.5 billion. (National Council on Aging, February 2021)
- $34,200 is the average annual amount lost by seniors targeted by scammers. (Consumer Affairs, July 2021)
- Elder abuse affects peoples of all ethnicities equally. (NCBI, 2013)
Eliza Bryant Village Elder Justice Center Admission Criteria:
- 55 years of age or older.
- Experienced one or more of the following types of abuse (physical, sexual, psychological, financial).
- In need of temporary safe space and agrees to be placed in a temporary safe space.
- Victim will not contact the alleged abuser through any form of communication during their stay.
- Victim will keep the shelter location confidential.
7201 Wade Park Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44103
1-844-EJC-SAFE (1-844-352-7233)
To financially support Eliza Bryant Village’s Elder Justice Center, please contact Michelle Carver, Chief Philanthropy Officer, at 216-658-1880.
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About Eliza Bryant Village
Eliza Bryant Village provides high-quality services for seniors along the continuum of care in a safe, dignified and compassionate environment. We offer skilled nursing with memory-care and rehabilitation, on-site dialysis care, an adult daycare and senior outreach program, our award-winning Elder Justice Center and affordable independent senior housing. Home Care is available to Eliza Bryant Village seniors as well as our aging neighbors. The Elder Justice Center at Eliza Bryant Village provides free, temporary housing and wrap-around services to older adults experiencing abuse, violence, trauma or criminal victimization. Eliza Bryant Village, located on 17 acres in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood, has been an anchor institution in the community for more than 126 years. The oldest continually operating African American-founded long-term care facility in the United States, we serve nearly 1,000 seniors and their families annually with more than 150 compassionate employees and nearly 300 volunteers.
About DomesticShelters.org
We make finding the right shelter and information about domestic violence easier. Instead of searching the Internet, it is all right here. We’ve painstakingly verified information on shelters in LA to shelters in NY, and every domestic violence program in between. If you or a friend is suffering from physical abuse, emotional abuse, psychological abuse or verbal abuse, this free service can help. Select domestic violence programs based on location, service and language needs. Find 24-hour hotlines in your area, service listings, and helpful articles on domestic violence statistics, signs and cycles of abuse, housing services, emergency services, legal and financial services, support groups for women, children and families, and more.