Our history

The Elder Abuse Institute of Maine was originally established in 1995 as a community coalition called P.E.A.C.E. (Partners for Elder Abuse Community Education). PEACE was made up of representatives from local agencies including the Southern Maine Agency on Aging, Legal Services for the Elderly, DHS Bureau of Elder and Adult Services, Portland Public Health, Home Resources of Maine, the City of Portland’s Office of Elder Affairs, Maine Medical Center, Mercy Hospital, Family Crisis Services, Life Connections Counseling Services, Volunteers of America, and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department. The coalition was open to anyone interested in increasing public awareness about elder abuse in the community. The Elder Abuse Institute of Maine Board of Directors now also includes representatives from the University of New England, Westbrook Housing Authority, and the Portland Police Department.

During the first four years, the PEACE coalition sponsored five state-wide educational conferences on elder abuse, provided three train-the trainer workshops and over 50 workplace trainings on elder abuse and neglect, and worked with local media to produce public service announcements on how to identify victims of elder abuse. A Radar Card was created for police officers. The card fits in the breast pocket of a police uniform and lists local resources for seniors as well as helpful tips for gathering information from victims when abuse is suspected.

In 1999 the coalition applied for and received a grant from the Maine Justice Assistance Council to begin to address the needs of older victims of domestic violence.  The project entitled REACH (Research, Education, Advocacy, Collaboration, and Housing) had two objectives:

• Document the experiences of older woman in regards to domestic violence. For this initiative, focus group interviews were conducted with 100 women over the age of 50 who shared their stories and helped identify societal, institutional and personal barriers to getting the support and help they need.

• To develop a training curriculum for law enforcement personnel. Using information gathered from the focus group participants, and working with the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department,  training curriculum was developed that reinforces the officers’ roles as advocates and gives them tools to better understand, identify and address issues of elder abuse and domestic violence later in life.

REACH was funded for a second year by the Maine Department of Public Safety. During phase two, law enforcement officers and EMS personnel in Portland and South Portland received the elder abuse training. By the end of the REACH II grant period, support groups were established for older victims of domestic violence. The training curriculum has been revised and improved over time and the trainings have continued and expanded to include community volunteers who work with the elderly.

In 2003 the Elder Abuse Institute became a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. With an active board and dedicated leadership, the organization celebrates over a decade of advocacy and innovative service delivery to elder victims of abuse.