FREEPORT — The Elder Abuse Institute of Maine is inviting everyone to a celebration — its 20th year of service to Maine’s elderly adults. The evening event, Hope Is the Key, is to be held at the Harraseeket Inn in Freeport on June 13. This festive gathering will feature special guest and EAIME friend MT Connolly, a pioneering expert on elder justice. Connolly, a MacArthur “genius” grant awardee, is the architect of the federal Elder Justice Act, founder of the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative, and lead author of the Elder Justice Roadmap, shaping federal, state, and local research, policy, and practice. Most recently, she is the author of The Measure of Our Age: Navigating Care, Safety, Money, and Meaning Later in Life.
“What we want to do is find better ways to reduce harm and enhance wellbeing and purpose as we age,” says Connolly.
“People 85 and older are the fastest growing segment of the US population, and our support systems just aren’t ready to handle it,” adds Patricia Kimball, executive director of EAIME. “MT’s work is truly groundbreaking, giving us a framework for caring for older people with compassion, respect, and understanding.”
Established in 1994, EAIME’s mission is dedicated to ensuring that every older person affected by abuse has access to the necessary support to shape the life they choose.
EAIME’s work in Maine is already setting a standard for the nation. It worked closely with Connolly to create the RISE model, a novel way to address elder abuse that repairs harm, respects autonomy, restores relationships, and advances justice in a holistic and flexible way. It provides safe housing for elder victims of abuse, one of only a few programs in the country offering this service. It has earned national attention for its program Elder Service Connections.
This year, Maine added EAIME to its operating budget, ensuring its mission to ensure permanency of services to elder victims of abuse.
“The theme of our event — hope — is inspired by the many clients we’ve had the privilege of serving over these past 20 years,” says Kimball. “We are celebrating them, and the ways we are transforming our approach to aging, elder abuse, and elder justice.”
For more information and to register for Hope Is the Key, please visit EAIME’s website atwww.eaime.org.
