The California Elder Abuse Prevention Foundation works on one problem: older adults are harmed in ways that stay hidden, often for a long time, and often by someone close to them.
The Foundation is an independent organization focused on the prevention of elder abuse in California. It is not a government agency, it has no affiliation with the State of California, and it does not provide legal advice or represent anyone in a legal matter.
Its subject is elder abuse and neglect in all the forms it takes — physical harm, neglect, isolation from family and friends, and financial exploitation. Some of those leave marks. Most do not.
Our work
What the Foundation works on
Prevention, plain public information, and community involvement shape what the Foundation sets out to do.
- Prevention. Mistreatment rarely starts at its worst. It settles in gradually, and it is far easier to interrupt early than to undo later.
- Plain public information. Most people learn the warning signs only after someone they love is already at risk. That is too late to be useful.
- Community involvement. The people positioned to notice trouble first are adult children, neighbors, friends, congregations and care staff — not investigators.
Underneath all of it sits a single idea. Safety and dignity are not separate goals for an older person. Someone who is afraid to speak up is not safe, and someone who is not treated with respect will rarely speak up.
Why it matters
Harm to an older adult is usually quiet
A missed medication. A new reluctance to be alone with a particular person. A bank balance that no longer adds up. Any one of those has an innocent explanation, and each is easy to explain away. Together they are sometimes the only warning a family gets.
Reporting is hard for a second reason. The person causing the harm is often the person the older adult depends on for meals, medication, money or a ride to the doctor. Speaking up can feel like risking the little support that remains.
So attention cannot be seasonal. It has to be ordinary — part of how families talk to each other, how neighbors check in, and how care is chosen and then watched. Making that easier for the people who notice first is where the Foundation puts its effort.
Get in touch
If you have a question about the Foundation, or you want to know how to be involved where you live, send a message. Messages go to the Foundation directly.
If you are worried about someone right now, the resources page lists the California agencies to call and what each one handles.