The workshops are being held March 8 at MU.

The identical sessions feature guest speakers Ronald Costen, Ph.D. Esq., the director of the Pennsylvania Institute on Protective Services at Temple University; Brenda Colbert, Esq., of Marshall, Parker & Associates, which specializes in elder law and estate planning, and representatives from the Pennsylvania State Police and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office.

The program is being held in Sandy and Marlene Insalaco Hall at Misericordia University. Snow date for the program is Wednesday, March 10. To register, please call (570) 822-1158. Lunch will be served following the noon workshop and light refreshments will be available at the evening program. Deadline for registration is March 1.

The Luzerne-Wyoming Counties Elder Abuse Task Force was formed in 2008 under the leadership of state representatives Phyllis Mundy and Karen Boback. It is dedicated to reducing the number of elderly victims through prevention, education, identification and prosecution of elder abuse. It is co-chaired by the Luzerne-Wyoming Counties Area Agency on Aging and the Ethics Institute of Northeastern Pennsylvania at Misericordia Universit.

The task force works collaboratively with the Institute on Protective Services at Temple University and local community leaders to design programs that raise awareness of elder abuse. Since its inception, the task force has sponsored informational workshops on elder care abuse and elder sexual assault for health care professionals and law enforcement officials.

For more information on the Luzerne-Wyoming Counties Elder Abuse Task Force and the spring workshop, please log on to www.elderabusetaskforce.org, or call the Luzerne-Wyoming Counties Area Agency at (570) 822-1158 or the Ethics Institute of Northeastern Pennsylvania at Misericordia University at (570) 674-6201.

The Ethics Institute of NEPA at Misericordia University was established in 1987 by Sister Siena Finley, RSM, and a group of community professionals and leaders from the Wyoming Valley who wished to foster more dialogue on ethical issues affecting the region. It is an institute directed by regional leaders and educators who are committed to the discussion of ethical issues both theoretical and practical. The institute encourages responsible ethical action through informed rational deliberation and it facilitates the process in the academic community as well as in the community at large through special workshops and forums.

Ethics Institute of NEPA at Misericordia University board members are Howard Grossman, executive director, Jewish Family Service; Kim Koehl, Leadership Wilkes-Barre; Kristine Pruett, director of operations, graduate education, Wilkes University; Rosemary Sigmond, liaison, Board of Trustees, Misericordia University; Robert Yanoshak, M.D., Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center; attorney Joseph Cosgrove, Margarita Rose, Ph.D., professor of economics, King’s College; Gary Mrozinski, dean of business and technologies, Luzerne County Community College; Sally McGuire, director, Continuing Education at Penn State Hazleton, Sister Bernadette Duross, RSM, executive director of the Ethics Institute; and Charles Zola, Ph.D., Mount Saint Mary College, assistant professor of philosophy.

For more information about the Ethics Institute, please contact Sister Bernadette at 570-674-1449 or log on to www.misericordia.edu/ethics. For more information about Misericordia University, please log on to www.misericordia.edu or call (570) 674-6400.

Caption:

The Luzerne-Wyoming Counties Elder Abuse Task Force of Pennsylvania, co-chaired by the Luzerne-Wyoming Counties Area Agency on Aging and the Ethics Institute of Northeastern Pennsylvania at Misericordia University, recently hosted a meeting at Misericordia University in which the task force finalized the program for the March 8 Financial Abuse Program that will be held on the Back Mountain campus. Participating in the meeting, seated from left, are Mary Beth Farrell, Area Agency on Aging; Charles Zola, Ph.D., Mount Saint Mary College; Sen. Lisa Baker; standing, Linda Bottger, Area Agency on Aging, Cpl. Steven Masteller, Pennsylvania State Police; Jeff D. Aronsohn, D.D.S., forensic dental consultant, Wyoming County district attorney’s office; Det. Lt. Larry Fabian, Luzerne County district attorney’s office; and Carlie Wetzel, Luzerne County office of human services.