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August 01, 2018

Sunflower Foundation Awards $200,000 Grant

Congratulations to COLA Commissioner Kathy Greenlee!

Excerpt from a Sunflower Foundation Press Release

Sunflower Foundation awards $200,000 grant to better understand elder abuse in Kansas

The Sunflower Foundation Board of Trustees has awarded a $200,000 grant to the Center for Practical Bioethics to identify strategies aimed at detecting, addressing and preventing elder abuse in Kansas. Kathy Greenlee, Vice President of Aging and Health Policy at the Center, will oversee the grant.

Much like the rest of the country, the percentage of the population over 65 years old is growing and, in Kansas, the median age continues to rise. According to the National Elder Mistreatment Study (NEMS), nearly one in 10 Americans over the age of 60 has experienced abuse, neglect or exploitation. But these numbers only reflect the cases reported. Experts believe that there are a significant number of cases that go unreported each year. Many communities – and states – lack the support networks necessary to easily identify and report elder abuse.

Over the next 12 months, Greenlee will engage consumers and advocates, as well as state and national experts, to identify best practices and develop strategies and a set of research-based recommendations to address and prevent elder abuse in Kansas. The final report will be released next year.

Greenlee is well suited for this project. In the course of her career, she has worked on programs and policies at the local, state, national and international level. Before joining the Center, she had a 25-year career in public service. In 2009, she was appointed U.S. Assistant Secretary for Aging by President Obama.

For information about this initiative, please contact Sunflower Foundation President and CEO Billie Hall at (785) 232-3000 or [email protected].