Lane County hosts elder services fair to boost abuse awareness

A free elder services fair at Eugene Public Library Downtown put Lane County’s abuse-prevention work in front of the people most likely to need it: older adults, caregivers and family members. The event ran from 1 to 3 p.m. at 100 W 10th Ave. in Eugene, bringing together agencies that work with seniors and disabled adults before a crisis grows worse.

LCOG Senior & Disability Services hosted the fair through its Adult Protective Services program, which responds to allegations of abuse or neglect involving people 65 and older and adults 18 and older with physical disabilities in Lane County. Lane County says APS also investigates abuse or neglect in licensed care facilities and for people living in their own homes. The cases can involve physical abuse, financial exploitation, verbal and emotional abuse, and neglect.

The county directs suspected abuse reports to 1-855-503-SAFE, or 7233, and LCOG also lists 541-682-4140 and abusereporting@lcog-or.gov for reports and questions. That reporting pathway matters because elder abuse often remains hidden until a neighbor, relative, paid caregiver or medical provider notices a pattern of injury, isolation, unpaid bills or sudden changes in a person’s behavior or finances.

Several organizations joined the fair to make that help easier to find in one place, including Lane County Victim Services, AARP, the Oregon Law Center, Bristol Hospice, Cascade Hospice and Signature Hospice. Lane County’s elder abuse response also involves the District Attorney’s Office, the Oregon Department of Human Services, Lane County Mental Health, law enforcement and community-based service programs, reflecting how often these cases cut across health, legal and social service systems.

The event was timed to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, observed each June 15. The day was initiated by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse in 2006 and later recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in resolution 66/127 in December 2011. Organizers used the fair to push the issue into a public setting rather than leaving it behind closed doors.

The Eugene Public Library said its downtown branch is one of three Eugene locations, alongside Bethel Branch and Sheldon Branch, and that it offers free information, education, entertainment and connection for everyone in the community. In that setting, the fair served a practical purpose: connecting vulnerable neighbors to reporting options, legal help, hospice support and the wider network that can intervene before abuse escalates.