Presenter: Makayla Duran
Poster Description: Across all races, socio-economic and ethnics groups, elder populations are historically one of the most vulnerable and underserved in the nation. By partnering with the Pojoaque Police Department, this project will work to address these disparities and develop appropriate Law and Order Code to best address the various levels of victims, notably those related to elder abuse. There are programs that we are still trying to build in order to serve individuals that are faced with these problems. We are currently facing a rise of elder abuse cases, which can also include financial exploitation. My objective is to interview the elders of the community and gather data about the gaps in services for elders and work closely with the Pojoaque Police Department and Tribal Court to develop codes to adequately identify victims and develop programming to address gaps. I will be conducting a qualitative research study, which includes 6 individual interviews and entails 5 interview questions. My research question is: What legal and service gaps exist in the Pueblo of Pojoaque to address the issue of Elder Abuse? With the knowledge gained through my research report, I will build a program for the Pueblo of Pojoaque that addresses elder abuse.