World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2025: How Can Each of Us Make a Difference?

Chris Herman, MSW, LICSW
Senior Practice Associate–Aging

June 2025

Don’t Be Defeated Before You Begin

In recent months, many of us have been asking ourselves, “What can I do to make a difference? I’m just one person.” We are witnessing the effects of federal actions on the people we serve and within our organizations, communities, and personal circles. We feel overwhelmed by the daily barrage of news, the scores of calls we could make to policymakers, and the number of meetings and protests we could attend or plan.

Under these circumstances, getting involved in World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD, observed annually on June 15) might feel impossible. Yet, each of us can do at least one thing to enhance awareness—whether in ourselves, our colleagues, our clients, or others in our lives—of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation (hereafter, “elder abuse”). This publication provides ideas and free resources to help you achieve that goal, even in five minutes or less.

WEAAD Is Relevant to All of Us

The ability to live free from abuse, neglect, and exploitation at any age is integral to a just society. Likewise, living free of abuse as we age is congruent with our profession’s core values of social justice and dignity and worth of the person (NASW Code of Ethics, 2021; https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics). As social workers, we may encounter people who experience elder abuse or who engage in abusive behavior toward older adults in any setting. Similarly, we play integral roles in developing, implementing, and strengthening social supports that help prevent and address elder abuse, even if our work doesn’t focus specifically on elder abuse or older adults.

For these reasons, observing World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) each year is important. This observance centers on the theme Building Strong Support for Elders and has three goals:

• increasing awareness about elder abuse (which can include neglect, financial abuse–exploitation, and physical, sexual, or emotional–psychological abuse)
• fostering action by individuals, organizations, and communities to identify, prevent, and address elder abuse
• reaffirming our society’s commitment to the principle of justice for all—that we should all be able to live free from abuse at every age

In the United States, WEAAD is led by the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), which is funded by the federal Administration for Community Living (ACL) and housed at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. The NCEA–ACL WEAAD microsite, available at https://eldermistreatment.usc.edu/weaad-home/, includes information and resources that each of us can use to participate in WEAAD.

WEAAD-related activities occur throughout the month, enabling each of us to do one thing for WEAAD 2025. Let’s start with actions that take the least amount of time and energy.

Act in Five Minutes or Less

• Read NCEA’s fact sheet about the signs of elder abuse (available in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Korean). Source: https://eldermistreatment.usc.edu/weaad-home/about/ (bottom of the page)
• Refresh your memory regarding how “elder abuse” is defined in your state or jurisdiction and your responsibility to report situations of suspected abuse.
  Sources: Links to elder abuse statutes, definitions, and reporting requirements for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico—USC’s Elder Abuse Guide for Law Enforcement (EAGLE): https://eagle.usc.edu/state-specific-laws/
  List of elder abuse definitions, last updated in June 2021, that includes the U.S. Virgin Islands— American Bar Association (ABA) Commission on Law and Aging: https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/law_aging/2020-abuse-definitions.pdf
  Summary of reporting requirements on adult maltreatment, last updated in April 2022, that includes the U.S. Virgin Islands— ABA Commission on Law and Aging: https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/law_aging/2020-elder-abuse-reporting-chart.pdf
  Information about APS statutes in the 50 states, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands—Stetson University Center for Excellence in Elder Law: https://www.stetson.edu/law/academics/elder/home/adult-protection-statutes.php
  Association of Social Work Boards directory—links to boards that govern social work practice in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands: https://aswbsocialworkregulations.org/licensingWebsitesReportBuilder.jsp
• Ensure you have current information about how to report a situation of potential elder abuse. Options include law enforcement, Adult Protective Services, the long-term care ombudsman program, and licensing agencies.
  Source: https://elderjustice.usc.edu/suspectabuse/
• Add a WEAAD logo (available in English) and microsite link to your email signature, social media platforms, or both.
  Sources:
  Logo—part of the WEAAD Tool Kit: https://elderjustice.usc.edu/weaad-home/tools-and-tips/
  WEAAD microsite: https://eldermistreatment.usc.edu/weaad-home/
• Share other WEAAD graphics and sample social media posts (all available in English and Spanish) by email, social media, or both.
  Source: https://elderjustice.usc.edu/weaad-home/social-media/
• Use a WEAAD virtual background in your meetings.
  Source: WEAAD Tool Kit
• Sign up for the NCEA e-newsletter, the NCEA elder abuse listserv, or both.
  Source: https://elderjustice.usc.edu/connect-with-us/
• Subscribe to NCEA’s YouTube channel.
  Source: https://www.youtube.com/@NCEAatUSCKSOM/featured

Take It to the Next Level

• Pass on the NCEA Signs of Elder Abuse fact sheet, the WEAAD microsite link, or both to your colleagues, clients, or others in your life.
  Sources:
  Fact sheet: https://eldermistreatment.usc.edu/weaad-home/about/
  WEAAD microsite: https://eldermistreatment.usc.edu/weaad-home/
• Remind your colleagues of how to report a situation of potential elder abuse.
  Source: https://elderjustice.usc.edu/suspectabuse/
• Urge Congress to preserve and fund programs that prevent and address elder abuse Source— Older Americans Month 2025: The Importance of Public Programs as We Age (Tips & Tools for Social Workers): https://bit.ly/NASW-OAM25
• Encourage your colleagues to sign up for NCEA’s e-newsletter, elder abuse listserv, or both.
  Source: https://elderjustice.usc.edu/connect-with-us/
• Disseminate WEAAD bookmarks in English or Spanish within or beyond your workplace. Customize the bookmarks with your organization’s name and phone number if you wish. Source: WEAAD Tool Kit (https://elderjustice.usc.edu/weaad-home/tools-and-tips/)
• Use WEAAD placemats (available in in English and Spanish) during meetings and programs hosted by your team, department, or organization (hereafter, “organization”) during the month of June.
  Source: WEAAD Tool Kit
• Download a WEAAD proclamation (available in English and Spanish), add the name of your organization, and disseminate it.
  Source: WEAAD Tool Kit
• Participate in the #WEAAD615 Challenge by email, on social media, or both: List six facts about elder abuse, share one thing you can do to prevent elder abuse, and tag five people to join you in the challenge.
  Source of English-language #WEAAD615 graphic: WEAAD Tool Kit
• Finish the Sentence for #WEAAD: Download and print or screenshot a template that reads, “Everyone at every age can stand up to elder abuse by…” and add your own text to finish the sentence. Share your completed submission, with or without a picture of yourself holding the sign, by email, social media, or both. Invite your colleagues to join this activity.
  Source for templates in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Korean: https://elderjustice.usc.edu/weaad-home/social-media/
• Educate your clients about how to access supports and services in their communities by passing on information about the Eldercare Locator.
  Source: https://eldercare.acl.gov/

Participate in a WEAAD Program

If you have a little more time, find and participate in a virtual program within or beyond the United States or an in-person program in your area.
Source: https://elderjustice.usc.edu/weaad-home/events/

• Register for NCEA’s June 11 webinar, cohosted with the Federal Trade Commission from 10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. PDT (1:00–2:15 p.m. EDT), about understanding and preventing elder financial fraud. Continuing education (CE) credits are not available for this webinar.
  Source: https://elderjustice.usc.edu/event/beyond-the-billions-understanding-and-preventing-elder-financial-fraud-webinar/
• Register for the WEAAD Webinar to Protect Senior Investors, cohosted by the National Adult Protective Association’s Financial Exploitation Advisory Board and the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, scheduled for June 17 from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. EDT. CE credits are not available for this program.
  Source: https://www.napsa-now.org/world-elder-abuse-awareness-day/
• Find an elder justice network (also known as a coalition or multidisciplinary team, among other names) in your area and check whether it is offering a WEAAD program.
  Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Elder Justice Initiative https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/elder-justice-network-locator-map
• Locate your nearest Area Agency on Aging (names vary) and ask whether it is offering a WEAAD program.
  Source: Eldercare Locator, funded by ACL and operated by USAging https://eldercare.acl.gov/Public/Index.aspx

Lead a WEAAD Activity

Make an even greater impact by planning and implementing your own WEAAD activity. Ideas follow.

• Give a presentation on elder abuse or write a short article (such as a blog) on elder abuse for your organization or in your community. Consider collaborating with colleagues on such a project.
• Visit https://elderjustice.usc.edu/weaad-home/take-action/ for other WEAAD program ideas.
• If you plan a program, use the customizable WEAAD program flyer, presentation (slide) template, and certificate of participation.
  Source: WEAAD Tool Kit (https://elderjustice.usc.edu/weaad-home/tools-and-tips/)

Ready … Set … Go!

Having read this brief publication, how will you participate in WEAAD 2025? Please share the link to this publication (https://bit.ly/NASW-WEAAD25) and your answer with other social workers on your social media, tagging NASW (handles at the end of this publication) or in the MyNASW member-only online community (https://mynasw.socialworkers.org/home). Each of our actions, however small, can help prevent and address elder abuse. By working together, we can build a just society for all.

Resources on Elder Abuse to Use Throughout the Year

NASW

• Information every social worker needs to know about elder abuse Source—World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2023: Building Strong Support for Elders: https://bit.ly/NASW-WEAAD23
• Social Work Roles in Elder Abuse Prevention and Response: A Report by the National Association of Social Workers (2022)
  Source: https://bit.ly/NASW-SW-ElderJustice-2022
• World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2024: How Can I Get Involved, and How Is NASW Working to Address Elder Abuse?
  Source: https://bit.ly/nasw-weaad24
• Older Americans Month 2025: The Importance of Public Programs as We Age (Tips & Tools for Social Workers)
  Source: https://bit.ly/NASW-OAM25

Other National Entities

• National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA): https://eldermistreatment.usc.edu/national-center-on-elder-abuse/ & https://ncea.acl.gov/
• Administration for Community Living (ACL): https://acl.gov/
• WEAAD microsite (NCEA–ACL): https://eldermistreatment.usc.edu/weaad-home/
• Extensive list of national resources (federal, federally supported, or nonprofit) addressing elder abuse and elder justice
  Source—World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2024: How Can I Get Involved, and How Is NASW Working to Address Elder Abuse? https://bit.ly/nasw-weaad24
  (Note: Links for federal government webpages and federally supported resources may have changed because of federal government restructuring. Additionally, some federal and federally supported websites may not be as robust as usual because they are being reviewed for compliance with executive orders.)

Select New Resources

• National Elder Abuse Multidisciplinary Summit (May 2025): Access summit recordings, slides, and related resources for this two-day program, hosted by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative. Many of the presentations are of relevance to anyone working with older adults who may have experienced abuse.
  Source: https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/national-elder-abuse-multidisciplinary-team-summit
• Person-Centered, Trauma-Informed Essentials for Aging Services (2025): A person-centered, trauma-informed approach is integral to effective elder abuse prevention and response. The Center on Aging, Trauma, and Holocaust Survivor Care (based at the Jewish Federations of North America and funded by ACL) created an online, self-paced course, which is available at no charge to individuals and organizations. Complete the course to earn five NASW-approved CE credits.
  Source: https://holocaustsurvivorcare.jewishfederations.org/pcti_training

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