Concierge Care Advisors presented one of our detectives an award today. See what they had to say about Detective Pamela St. John. Congratulations Pam!
Seattle, WA. Concierge Care Advisors will present its “Advocate of the Year” award to Seattle Police Detective Pamela St. John at 11 AM on Tuesday, January 17. The Seattle Police Department will send a statement and photographs immediately following the event honoring Det. St. John.
“It is important that the public be aware of the importance of reporting suspected elder financial abuse to their local law enforcement agencies and not just the State of Washington,” said Cindi Laws, CCA Vice President of Business Development. “We in Seattle are lucky to have Det. St. John, who works carefully and aggressively to protect our most vulnerable senior citizens.”
Detective St. John’s investigates financial exploitation of vulnerable adults in the Elder Abuse division of the Domestic Violence unit. Det. St. John, working with the King County Prosecutor’s office, has achieved impressive results in an area of elder abuse that is growing exponentially in Washington.
Criteria for award recipients required quantitative and qualitative results. “These CCA heroes inspired change, demonstrated courage in the face of opposition, were innovative, and encouraged provocative approaches to problem solving,” said Mary Cordova, Executive Vice President and Co-Founder of Concierge Care Advisors. “Above all, these heroes were unafraid to seek greater security and safety for seniors.”
Exposed Hero: The Advocate – Pamela St. John, Seattle Police Department
This award is given to an individual or entity for their body of work – annually or over a career – that improves the safety and security of seniors and long term care.
Pamela St. John joined the Seattle Police Department to investigate domestic violence. Hailed as a hero by victims, attorneys and other advocates, Pamela determines immediate financial risk, interviewing victims, suspects and others, as well as case preparation with the prosecutor’s office. In addition to her investigative work, Det. St. John routinely provides outreach and public education on preventing these types of crimes.
There were 14,477 reports of abuse or neglect in 2009, the last year data was made available by the State of Washington’s Aging and Disability Services Administration, a division of DSHS. Of those, 1,505 cases – 10% – are substantiated. However, financial exploitation makes up 28% (4,061) of all reports of suspected abuse, and 19% of those are substantiated, making this type of abuse both the largest reported violation and the most likely to have actually occurred. In comparison, the same period showed 1,278 reports of physical abuse – 9% of all reports – with a 7% substantiation rate.
“The statistics can be dry but reflect an important reality about elder abuse,” noted Kecia Lilly, Senior Vice President of Concierge Care Advisors. “Pamela St. John strips away the statistics to reveal the awful truth about financial exploitation: when seniors discover they have been victimized, the shock to their mental state impacts their physical health and leads to their decline. Financial victimization also reduces the ability of seniors to enjoy the living options they had carefully saved for. Thanks to the work of Pamela St. John, increased investigations and effective prosecution of those preying on seniors is providing for greater security and safety of us all.”
CCA closed out its first full year of operations by “exposing heroes” that reflect the Agency’s mission of secure and safe seniors above all else. Other recipients included Rep. Jim Moeller, D-Vancouver, as “Legislator of the Year”; and Seattle Police Department Det. Pamela St. John, for “Advocacy”, presented for a lengthy body of work.
About Concierge Care Advisors
CCA strives to elevate the senior care and housing referral services industry through personalized attention and self-regulation. While not the first, nor the largest, in the field, CCA offers credentialed, trained and thoroughly background-checked care advisors who work towards the best outcomes, not the most numerous. Headquartered in Seattle, the agency helps individuals and families identify the best senior housing, assisted living, in-home care and other senior living solutions, based on each individual’s unique circumstance. CCA adopts an approach that prioritizes safety and security of seniors above profit and volume.
Each Concierge Care Advisor is HIPAA and CCA certified and is among the Northwest’s best. The company’s advisors personally know, visit and prequalify every recommended community. To learn more about Concierge Care Advisors’ services, and how the company is helping establish industry regulations from the ground up, visit www.conciergecareadvisors.com, follow the company on Twitter @CareAdvisors or learn more on our Facebook page.