Multimedia personality, producer, and writer Kerri Kasem, daughter of radio icon Casey Kasem, will offer this years’ Keynote Address at the 19th Annual Elder Abuse Conference titled “Community Responsibility: Creating Connections” on Friday, September 30, 2016. The conference, which is coordinated by Vera House, Inc., the Evergreen Network and the Syracuse Area Domestic & Sexual Violence Coalition’s Elder Justice Committee, will be held at the DoubleTree Hotel, 6301 State Route 298, East Syracuse, NY.
Kasem has been well recognized for most of her life, and as the daughter of a renowned celebrity, began following her father’s footsteps. Co-hosting an internationally syndicated program for four years, Kasem eventually left to fight for the wellbeing of her father, Casey Kasem who was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia in 2007. As his health declined in 2013, Kerri Kasem and her siblings were denied all contact with their father. After a long and hard legal battle against their stepmother, Kasem now dedicates her time bringing awareness to an issue that many of those who come from blended families may one day have to face.
At the conference, Kasem will be speaking about her legal battle regarding the visitation rights and medical care of her father, as well as bringing awareness and attention to the cause of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation. As the founder of the Kasem Cares Foundation, she continues to fight for and establish the right to visitation and reasonable access to ailing parents, especially when under the care of an uncooperative spouse or sibling. Interview opportunities with Kerri Kasem are available from 10:15 – 11:15 AM.
This dynamic full-day conference will also include sixteen break-out sessions that cover diverse topics related to elder abuse from "Legal Responses to Financial Exploitation" to "Spirituality and the Aging Population".
Elder abuse is an underreported issue that will continually intensify as the United States population ages. The U.S. Census reports that more than 41 million Americans are 65 or older, with elders making up a growing proportion of the U.S. population. It is estimated that 1 in 10 Americans aged 60 and older experience abuse over the course of one year, and older adults who experience abuse or neglect are twice as likely to be hospitalized as other seniors who do not experience abuse. Elder abuse can include physical, sexual and psychological abuse, as well as financial exploitation and neglect.
