Advancing the field: the design of the Archstone Foundation Elder Abuse and Neglect Initiative.

The Archstone Foundation is a private grantmaking organization whose mission is to contribute toward the preparation of society in meeting the needs of an aging population. In 2006, the Archstone Foundation launched a 5-year $8 million Elder Abuse and Neglect Initiative (Initiative) with the goal of improving the quality and coordination of elder abuse and neglect services in the state of California. Lessons learned through the Initiative may serve to inform the field of elder abuse and the larger philanthropic community.

Vision for 2020.

This article reflects the collective thoughts of the 20 projects supported by the Archstone Foundation Elder Abuse and Neglect Initiative on offering a vision for improving the response system for elder abuse and, in turn, the lives of older adults between now and the year 2020. Five key areas were identified as critically important for advancing the field in the next ten years: (a) increased public awareness and shifting public attitudes, (b) improved identification and triage of cases, (c) increased integrated service models, (d) improved justice system response, and (e) leveraging and utilizing emerging and untapped resources. The lessons learned from the experiences of these 20 projects in California can serve as demonstration models for other communities to adopt, adapt, and improve response systems for elder abuse and neglect.