Let's Fight the Epidemic of Elder Abuse

Please join the Oregon Gerontological Association for a presentation about elder abuse. You've seen the headlines of older adults being physically abused - even murdered - or having their life savings wiped out by a scam or often times a family "friend." Let's go beyond the headlines and hear from experts about what the current issues are now about perpetrators who target older adults who are often frail, potentially cognitively impaired, or just lonely and vulnerable. We'll hear from leading experts in the NW. We all have a role in stopping elder abuse.

Presenters: 

Ellen Klem, JD is the director of consumer outreach and education for the Office of the Attorney General. Her mission is to prevent financial harm to Oregonians, especially older adults, Oregonians whose first language is not English, and students with large education-related debts. Previously, Ellen worked at the American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging in Washington, D.C., where she was responsible for research, policy development, advocacy, education and training. Ellen received her bachelor’s degree from James Madison College at Michigan State University and a J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

Charles Harwood, JD has been the Director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Northwest Regional Office, located in Seattle, since 2014. He was also the Northwest Region Director between 1989 and 2009. From 2009 through 2013, he was Deputy Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, and during that period he also briefly served as the Acting Director of the Bureau. Between 2008 and 2021, Mr. Harwood was also a Commissioner of the Department of the Interior’s Indian Arts and Crafts Board for three terms.  Before joining the FTC, Mr. Harwood was a staff attorney for the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee from 1983 to 1989. He is a member of the Oregon and DC bars and a graduate of the Willamette University College of Law. 

John Wentworth, JD is the Clackamas County District Attorney and a career prosecutor with over 28 years of public service. During his career, John successfully prosecuted some of Clackamas County’s most dangerous offenders — murderers, rapists, domestic violence offenders and child abusers. He is recognized statewide as an expert in domestic violence, sexual assault and elder abuse and has trained hundreds of prosecutors, police officers, parole and probation officers, victim advocates and community partners in the investigation and prosecution of elder abuse and family violence. He has also successfully led efforts for stronger legislative protections for Oregon’s elders, domestic violence and sexual assault victims. Just this year, he proposed a bill to the Oregon legislature to close a loophole in Oregon law, now making it possible to prosecute medical providers who sexually assault their patients. That bill just passed unanimously off the House floor and is off to the Governor for her signature! Finally, John also currently serves our community as a member of the Board of Directors at Parrott Creek Child and Family Services, as a board member of the Children's Center, and Vice President of the Oregon District Attorney’s Association.

Carlos Romo, PhD is an OGA Board member. After living in Reno, Nevada for 43 years, Carlos Romo and his spouse, Nancy, moved to Oregon in 2015 to be with family and friends. He is a native of New Mexico and earned a B.A. from the University of New Mexico and a Ph.D. in Foreign Languages and Literature (Spanish and Portuguese) from Tulane University. He was a Fulbright-Hayes Scholar in Lisbon, Portugal. After teaching at the University of Nevada, Reno, and working for the State of Nevada, Carlos retired in 2008. Before moving to Oregon, he was engaged in doing volunteer work for AARP-Nevada and today he continues to volunteer for AARP-Oregon. He has been a mediator and has expertise in employment, housing and public accommodation discrimination investigations and enforcement. Also, he has conducted training in workplace diversity and inclusion and is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. He hosted and moderated a public affairs television program, El Mundo Hispano, while living in Nevada. Being engaged as a volunteer; keeping in shape; traveling and being with family, are what keep Carlos busy during retirement.

Intended Audience: 

This presentation is appropriate for older adults, as well as all professionals working with older adults, whether in a long-term care or health care setting or a community center. It is also appropriate for educators, researchers, and students in the field of gerontology, sociology, social work, public health, and health sciences.

Registration Fee

• OGA members: Free!
• Non-members: $10
• Non-member students/seniors and registrants with limited financial means: $5

Why do we ask for a fee?

OGA is a non-profit organization run by volunteers. Events and donations are our main sources of income to fund our educational and networking programs.

Reduced or complementary event registration is one of the great benefits for OGA members! If you like our educational programs - we strive to offer at least one event per month - becoming a member will pay off quickly! To learn more about OGA membership, please visit our Membership page.

No one will be turned away! If you cannot afford $5 at this moment, please contact us at [email protected] - thanks to the generous donations of OGA members and friends throughout the year, we can cover a small number of registrations for each event.

Please note that we offer CEUs only for our annual conference in October, not for our regular events. However, we are happy to issue a Certificate of Attendance upon request for those who attend this webinar for its entire length. To request one, please send us an email after the event.

PLEASE REGISTER HERE to receive the Zoom link. Should you encounter any difficulties registering online, please don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected].