In recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the Office of  Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn III, with sponsorship from AARP, held an Elder Abuse Prevention Conference — “A Focus on Avoiding Scams, Fraud, and Identity Theft” — on June 15, 2016 at Bristol Community College in Fall River. Conference speakers included BCC President John Sbrega, AARP Massachusetts Director Mike Festa, Consumer Mediator/Outreach coordinator Diane Lopes Flaherty from Attorney General Maura Healey's Office, Coastline Elderly Money Management Program manager Linda Aguiar, AARP Fraud Watch Network volunteer Dennis Hohengasser, and SSTAR Prevention Director Laura Washington. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was started in 2006 by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations. Click here for a 40-minute video of the first part of the program. For further information, contact Eric Poulin at 508-961-1973.

(Top row) Fall River Community Media Camera Operator Luce Cabral gets ready to videotape the program for later broadcast while 99-year-old Yvette Mancini and Coastline Elderly Money Management Program manager Linda Aguiar and CEO Paula Shiner chat with others at their table. (Row two) Community Affairs Unit Program Manager Eric Poulin opens the program by introducing Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn III. (Row three) M. Keith Peifer of Senior Whole Health, Michael Festa of AARP Massachusetts, and Joan Medeiros of Bristol County Savings Bank give brief introductions. (Row four) Jane Sullivan, Esq., The Arbors at Taunton Director of Marketing Elizabeth LaBreque, and Saint Anne's Hospital Center for Behavioral Medicine Clinical Assessment Coordinator Donna Amaral described about what they can offer elders. (Bottom row) After participants respond to some of the major presenters, Raquel Cabral of SSTAR, Natercia Pereira of United Healthcare, and Alice Rebelo of Vibra Healthcare are ready at their tables to respond to questions from conference participants.