Michigan alliance aims to brings attention to senior abuse and serve victims

DETROIT — Macomb County Office of Senior Services Director Sheila Cote said her colleagues have seen more and more cases over the last few years where they're concerned about the safety of older adults in the community.

She found out that some other counties in Michigan have elder abuse taskforces and ultimately decided to create her own in Macomb. The Macomb County Elder Justice Alliance, which was formed in 2023, brings together various organizations that respond to elder abuse and other senior issues, allowing them to share resources with each other.

The alliance also educates caregivers and seniors about abuse. The alliance says elder abuse includes physical, emotional and sexual abuse, financial exploitation and neglect.

In some cases, a family member is taking advantage of a senior. In others, the older adult lost money in a scam. Sometimes the senior is facing eviction.

"It's time to … call the alarm and and bring attention to this issue and bring community awareness to this issue," Cote said.

She noted that abuse is underreported, as some people don't know who to call or who to report it to.

"It's almost an epidemic at this point," she said of mistreatment of older adults.

The Macomb County Elder Justice Alliance is made up of roughly 30 to 40 organizations, ranging from the Macomb County Sheriff's Office and Sterling Heights Police Department to the Macomb County Community Mental Health and Shelby Township Senior Center, Cote said. One of the alliance's subcommittees meets monthly to talk about cases of elder abuse or cases where a senior is very vulnerable and needs additional support.

The alliance is one of 33 multidisciplinary teams across the state, according to Cynthia Farrell, the division director for Adult Services in the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Cote said that a few years ago, she met with the Muskegon County taskforce and the Genesee County taskforce to learn about their operations. She also contacted the Michigan Department of Attorney General, which offered to help her start a taskforce in Macomb. She said the department has a model in place to set up these taskforces. The Macomb County alliance had its first meeting in March 2023.

The issue of elder abuse

Nearly one-fifth, or 19%, of Macomb County's population is over the age of 65, according to U.S. Census figures. And the number of 65 and older households grew 27% between 2010 and 2022, according to Census data analyzed by the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments.

Nearly 300 people or entities were charged, meanwhile, were charged with a consumer crime against a senior in the county in 2024, according to the Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido. About 150 of those cases are still open.

Eight people have been charged with assaulting a senior this year, and five of those cases are still open. Meanwhile, about 20 people have been charged with embezzling a senior, with at least half of the cases still open.

The prosecutor's office has a Consumer Protection Unit and a Senior Crime Unit. Lucido said some seniors are scammed by family members who have substance abuse or gambling issues. He said other seniors lose money to "seedy" contractors or to people on the Internet.

He said seniors spend a lot of time online, especially during the winter.

"When it's cold out ― they can't get outside ― they're online," he said, "and there's a trust being built with the people they're talking to, and all of a sudden, a scam happens."

Warren resident Shane Price manages the finances of an 80-year-old man. He said a woman who was addicted to drugs was living with the man in Warren. He said the woman wasn't contributing to the senior's rent and he was in fact giving her money.

"This man has several people in his life that could very well be ― they could be good people," Price said. "Perhaps they just weren't sure how to help out in the first place."

Price said he thinks the general public should be educated about how to spot an older adult who "potentially has something going on in their life" and might need help. He said he didn't know that Adult Protective Services existed until a Meals on Wheels worker told him about it.

What the Elder Justice Alliance does

The Macomb County Elder Justice Alliance has two subcommittees, one of which is called the Multi-disciplinary Team. When the team meets, they talk about individual older adults who are victims or who need additional support or services, Cote said.

A representative of the prosecutor's office, for example, might talk about someone she is working with who needs Meals on Wheels. Or maybe the individual doesn't have a place to live, and the team could help them find housing.

"It's really an opportunity to share resources and better support that person," Cote said.

Farrell, the division director for Adult Services in the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, said an Adult Protective Services employee participates in the multidisciplinary meetings, and they have been helpful for her division.

"We are very much wanting to promote these multidisciplinary teams, because it really takes a village to really work with some of these clients," she said. "They have multiple needs, and not one entity is going to be able to meet all their needs."

The Elder Justice Alliance also has a prevention subcommittee, which meets monthly. They do tasks such as educating seniors about who to call when they suspect abuse and talking to caregivers about "appropriate boundaries," Cote said.

"I think some caregivers believe, 'Well, I'm handling their money so I can help myself to their money,'" she said. "Well, no, that's not OK."

She said the prevention subcommittee also tries to address "the loneliness and isolation problems" experienced by older adults. They have done surveys at some senior living apartments and have set up focus groups, where seniors can talk about how to alleviate loneliness in their buildings.

Cote said that in October, Macomb County Office of Senior Services received a $750,000 grant from the Department of Justice. The money will be used to train professionals and to provide services to victims.

Office of Senior Services lead case manager Jennifer Wilczek said her position was created as part of the formation of the alliance. She works one-on-one with seniors and makes sure they are receiving the assistance they need.

Wilczek said Adult Protective Services is limited in what it can do. She said the Macomb County Elder Justice Alliance is "filling that gap."

"This kind of fills that gap to provide support and assistance to folks ... in working with Adult Protective Services and what they can do," she said.

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