The new Center will offer emergency housing, emotional and safety planning support, and assistance with financial aid and health care services.
Anyone can report suspected abuse or neglect of an older adult 24/7 by calling the Department’s Protective Services Helpline at 800-490-8505.
Scranton, PA – Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA) Secretary Jason Kavulich today joined local leaders to open the first-of-its-kind center in the Commonwealth specifically designed to serve older adults who are victims of abuse or neglect in Lackawanna and surrounding counties.
Telespond Senior Services is home to the regionally accessible Older Adult Advocacy Center. The center is the first in Pennsylvania to offer a person-centered approach to abuse investigations, care and treatment plans, and education for older adults while providing emergency respite and short-term transitional living space.
"This innovative model is reflective of Governor Josh Shapiro’s vision for the Commonwealth, which prioritizes safe communities where everyone can live with freedom and dignity. The Older Adult Advocacy Center is designed to serve older adults in the safest, least restrictive way. No one should ever be a victim of abuse, especially our aging population,” said Secretary Kavulich. “The center is a welcoming place for older adults who need a trusting space for supports and services and to feel safe and comfortable. As former director of the Lackawanna Area Agency on Aging, I’m proud to have played a role in this project and thankful to all of the community partners and leaders who have helped to make it a reality. This facility will change thousands of lives and will serve as a state and national model.”
In March, PDA announced the rollout of its new Comprehensive Agency Performance Evaluation, or CAPE – an innovative tool designed to boost transparency and accountability of Pennsylvania’s Area Agency on Aging (AAA) network that provides a host of supports for older adults, including protective services. PDA is posting performance results for AAAs monitored under CAPE on its website. Governor Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget proposal invests in older Pennsylvanians by including $2 million so the Department can increase accountability and oversight of the AAAs and a $20 million investment for those AAAs so they can continue to provide key services to older adults.
The Older Adult Advocacy Center’s coordinated service approach will include:
- Emergency housing: Immediate 24/7 short term transitional living for older adults in crisis, including abuse victims, with a four-room, five-bed placement in partnership with the Lackawanna County AAA protective services unit.
- Support for older adults experiencing abuse: Specialized services like legal advocacy, emotional support, and safety planning delivered through collaborations with partners such as the Elder Justice Multi-disciplinary Team, Scranton Counseling Center, and The Wright Center for Community Health.
- Advocacy: Empowering older adults by giving them a voice in house and legal decisions. Collaboration with organizations such as Lackawanna Pro Bono to ensure support and guidance.
- Resource Navigation: Assistance with healthcare, financial aid, and social services to help older adults regain stability.
“This space represents more than bricks and mortar. It represents hope, dignity and community. Because of the vision and support of so many, the Older Adult Advocacy Center is not just a safe space, it’s a stepping stone for an older adult on their pathway to elder justice,” said Helen Schmid, president and CEO, Telespond Senior Services.
The northeast regional AAAs partnered with PDA, the Pennsylvania Association of Area Agencies on Aging, Telespond Senior Services, The Wright Center for Community Health, the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office, and Weill Cornell School of Medicine to ensure an older adult advocacy center is viable, sustainable, and can be replicated in other communities across the Commonwealth.
“As someone who has worked in the field of elder abuse for over 30 years, Pennsylvania’s new older adult advocacy center is both groundbreaking and unusually innovative. It enables older adults to retain dignity and independence by staying in the community while their complex situations are addressed, avoiding costly and potentially debilitating hospitalization or nursing home placement. I congratulate everyone who worked to make this vision a reality, and I hope many states follow this example,” said Dr. Mark Lachs, professor of medicine, Weill Cornell School of Medicine.
If anyone suspects an older adult is the victim of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, they should call the Department of Aging’s Protective Services Helpline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 800-490-8505. All calls are confidential.