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200 gather for annual conference designed to prevent elder abuse

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Conference returned to Columbus this year, drawing more than 200 professionals from across disciplines to Ohio State University’s Fawcett Center.

The daylong conference — convened by the office’s Elder Abuse Commission and its Elder Justice Unit — focused on the rapidly changing  landscape of technology and the associated challenges of safeguarding older Ohioans.

With the theme of “New-Age Vulnerabilities: Protecting Older Adults in a Digital Era,” the conference offered attendees a morning keynote address, an afternoon plenary session and their choice of six workshops.

Tracy Dodson, a nurse educator, researcher, and associate professor at Kent State University, kicked off the event with an inspirational session on how generative artificial intelligence can be used in positive ways, including, for example, to re-create digital images of a person’s most poignant memories or moments. She told of the joy that such a project brought to long-term-care residents, reinforcing the importance of good emotional health.

During lunchtime remarks, Attorney General Yost emphasized the need to raise awareness of elder abuse.

“It’s infuriating that the elderly … should become the victims of predators who exploit their diminished vigor and capability,” he said. “Shouldn’t some things be off-limits — even to criminals?”

Yost also announced a new partnership with the Ohio Pharmacists Association — the first step in publicizing the Elder Abuse Hotline (1-855-OHIO-APS) and educating pharmacists about red flags of abuse. He underscored the unique role that pharmacists play as consistent points of contact for older adults, noting: “Do you know anybody over 60 years old who isn't taking at least one prescription?”

(View the Attorney General’s full remarks.)

As part of the effort, the Pharmacists Association will open its continuing education platform to the Attorney General’s Office for presentations on identifying abuse and guiding at-risk individuals to safety and services.

“This could be a huge multiplier to get the word out that you’re not alone, you’re not abandoned, and you don’t have to take it,” Yost said.

The afternoon conference lineup began with a session featuring the AGO’s newly formed Electronic Financial Investigations unit, part of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. In this plenary session, the team focused on the dangers of scams involving cryptocurrency and ran attendees through a case study.

Other sessions featured partners from local, state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Secret Service and the FBI, AARP of Ohio, and the Franklin County Auditor’s Office.
Conference attendees represented 51 of Ohio’s 88 counties, and included advocates, social workers, law-enforcement officers, banking-industry experts, attorneys, and medical professionals.

(Read the AGO’s news release on the event.)

Planning is already underway for the 2026 conference. Please check back occasionally for updates.