According to the FBI, a total of $3.4 billion in losses from elder fraud were reported in 2023, and elder fraud complaints increased by 14% from the year prior. As elder fraud is on the rise nationally, Healthy Aging Initiative is doing its part to help protect Nevada’s vulnerable older adults by providing education to combat this trend during its second annual Healthy Aging Summit, ,” which will be held Oct. 16 in Las Vegas at the Extension office, 8050 Paradise Road.
“Anyone working with older adults or just those who want to protect the older adults in their life will benefit from this year’s summit,” Natalie Mazzullo, Extension Healthy Aging coordinator, said.
During the conference, participants will learn about the most prevalent types of scams that target older adults, hear from elder fraud survivors, and discover how advocates are working to prevent this alarming trend.
AARP Elder Fraud Programs Director Kathy Stokes will serve as the keynote speaker for the event. The summit will also include presentations and panels that include experts such as International Association of Financial Crime Investigators Chapter President Mitch Wilson, Nevada Attorney General’s Office Deputy Attorney Generals Matthew Ross and Andrew Schulke, and AARP Victims Advocate Kate Kleinert.
Extension’s provides both direct education classes in health, nutrition and physical activity for older adults, as well as professional development training courses for professionals. Last year, Extension provided six professional development courses to nearly 550 professionals, including certified health education specialists, long-term care administrators, marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, nurses and social workers, resulting in more than 1,600 hours of continuing education. It also held its inaugural Healthy Aging Summit, which focused on marginalized populations and dementia.
“Our team is excited to provide services and training to individuals, groups and organizations that interact with older adults,” Mazzullo said. “We want them to know the resources they have available through Extension to provide research-based education.”
The Summit qualifies for continuing education credit for a variety of professional organizations, including long-term care administrators, marriage and family therapists, social workers, certified healthy education specialists, and nurses. , which costs $50, is currently open.
For more information about the Summit or how Extension can help provide professional development, contact Mazzullo at 702-948-5911 or nmazzullo@unr.edu.
Persons in need of special accommodations or assistance should contact Paul Lessick, civil rights and compliance coordinator, at plessick@unr.edu or 702-257-5577 at least five days prior to the scheduled event with their needs or for more information.
