JOHNSTON, R.I.– Credit unions in Rhode Island joined with elected officials in the state to raise awareness of elder financial abuse.
During a press conference that included Lt. Gov. Dan McKee, Johnston Mayor Joe Polisena, North Providence Mayor Charles Lombardi, and Cooperative Credit Union Association President/CEO Paul Gentile, credit unions sought to make people aware of how prevalent elder financial abuse is, and what can be done about it. The press conference was held at the Johnston Senior Center. Preventing elder financial abuse has been a cause championed by the CCUA.
“Elder financial abuse is an invisible epidemic impacting thousands of Rhode Islanders and seniors across the country. Unfortunately, because of the sensitive nature of this crisis, many cases go unreported and unresolved,” said McKee. “As chair of our state’s Long-Term Care Coordinating Council, I challenge all Rhode Islanders to join my office and the credit unions of Rhode Island in spreading the word on how to identify elder financial abuse and how to stop it.”
The press conference highlighted the association’s CU Senior Safeguard program, a free online educational program sponsored by the Credit Unions of Rhode Island in cooperation with credit unions in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Delaware.
During his remarks, Gentile recognized Rhode Island’s CUs for having frontline staff become certified in CU Senior Safeguard, which seeks to ensure those employees and their credit unions are doing all that's possible to protect elders from financial harm.
"By sounding the alarm on this growing travesty perpetrated against seniors and by making CU Senior Safeguard available to all the people of Rhode Island, credit unions hope to lead the way in efforts to protect seniors and their life savings from loss, abuse and scams,” said Gentile.
According to the CCUA, the news conference was the first of several being planned by the association for senior centers in Delaware, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire with a goal of highlighting the issue.