ELDER FATALITY REVIEW

1. ELDER FATALITY REVIEW Illinois Department on Aging 2012 Elder Rights Conference 7/13/12

2. Elder Fatality Review • Who? • What? • Where? • When? • Why? • How?

3. Regional interagency elderly fatality review teams • May establish regional interagency EFRTs by: • The Illinois Department on Aging • Other State or County Agency with approval of the Department on Aging

4. WHO? Team members: • Representative from the IL. Dept. on Aging • Coroners and / or Medical Examiners • State’s Attorneys • Local Police Departments • Forensic Units • Providers of services for persons 60 years of age or older in domestic living situations

5. Who? (cont.) • Other individuals and/or agencies deemed appropriate by the team

6. What? • Assist local agencies in identifying and reviewing suspicious deaths of elderly victims

7. What?(cont.) • Alleged, suspected, or substantiated abuse or neglect in domestic living situations

8. What?(cont.) Facilitate communication between officials responsible for autopsies and inquests and persons involved in reporting or investigating alleged or suspected cases of abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation of persons 60 years of age or older

9. What? • 60 years of age or older • Domestic living situations • Blunt force trauma • Undetermined manner or suspicious cause of death

10. What? • Requested by attending physician • Referral by a health care provider

11. What? • Open or closed case involving alleged or suspected abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation: • Senior protective services agency • Law Enforcement Agency • State’s Attorney • Other cases 60+/domestic living

12. Where?(cont.) • Deaths should be reviewed in the region or county where the death occurred. • Regional Department on Aging Office • Coroner or Medical Examiner’s Office • State’s Attorney’s Office • Law Enforcement Agency

13. When? • Teams shall meet a minimum of 6 times / year • Meeting dates and times established by the team

14. Why? • Review cases of alleged, suspected, or substantiated abuse or neglect • Make recommendations concerning investigation or prosecution with majority vote of team members

15. Why? • Review team data and recommendations utilized by the Department on Aging: • Annual report • Develop education, prevention, prosecution, other strategies designed to improve the coordination of services for persons 60+ and their families. • Use aggregate data collected from review teams to create a database of at-risk individuals.

16. How? • Reviews conducted similar to Illinois Child Death Review Teams.

17. How? • Establish a volunteer review team in your region or county in coordination with regional Department on Aging Office • Fill team member positions

18. How? • Determine meeting location, dates, and times • Memorandum of Cooperation between coroner or medical examiner and local provider agency f0r the Elder Abuse and Neglect Program

19. Duane Northrup Champaign County Coroner 202 S. Art Bartell Rd. Urbana, IL 61802 Ph. 217-384-3888 Fax 217-384-1290 dnorthrup@co.champaign.il.us