HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania is rolling out a new front line in the fight to protect older adults, launching specialized Multidisciplinary Teams across the Commonwealth as elder abuse cases grow more complex and more urgent, state officials announced.
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging said Tuesday that five Area Agencies on Aging and regional coalitions have been selected to receive hands-on technical support from Weill Cornell Medicine and the department to establish or strengthen Multidisciplinary Teams, known as MDTs, to handle the most difficult elder protective services cases.
MDTs bring together professionals from social services, law enforcement, prosecutors, health care, mental health, finance, and public health to tackle cases involving abuse, neglect, or exploitation of older adults. The model, backed by the U.S. Department of Justice and already used in states such as New York and California, is designed to break down silos and speed up interventions for vulnerable seniors.
“We are doing groundbreaking collaborative work at the state level to ensure protection of older adults at the community level,” said Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich. He said the initiative will allow agencies and district attorneys to move faster and deploy the right resources when older adults are at risk.
The first wave of counties and regions selected through a competitive process includes Bucks, Cumberland, and Indiana counties, along with two multi-county MDT hubs: one serving Lehigh, Lancaster, and Berks counties, and another covering Clearfield, Jefferson, Potter, Cameron, Elk, and McKean counties.
Weill Cornell Medicine will provide consulting, data analysis, and evidence-based frameworks to help the agencies formalize MDT structures and improve cross-agency coordination. State officials said the geographic diversity of the participating areas will allow Pennsylvania to test and refine the approach in rural, suburban, and regional settings before expanding it statewide.
The need for the new teams is already stark in places like Indiana County, where elder abuse cases have risen 55 percent over the past five years, according to county officials.
“Our agency is excited for the opportunity to work with Weill Cornell Medicine,” said Indiana County Aging Services Executive Director Janine Maust. “These cases have become increasingly complex and now require deeper collaboration with a wide range of community partners.”
Indiana County District Attorney Robert F. Manzi Jr. said the state’s decision to provide MDT development support will strengthen protections for local seniors.
Dr. Mark Lachs of Weill Cornell Medicine called Pennsylvania’s commitment to making MDTs available statewide “unprecedented,” saying the effort will better protect the rights and dignity of older adults.
The Department of Aging is also urging seniors to review their health coverage as the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs through March 31, 2026. During that window, beneficiaries who already have a Medicare Advantage plan can switch to another plan or return to original Medicare, with changes taking effect the first day of the following month.
Free, unbiased counseling is available through the Pennsylvania Medicare Education and Decision Insight program, known as PA MEDI, which operates through the state’s 52 Area Agencies on Aging. Trained counselors help seniors compare plans, look for cost savings, and determine eligibility for programs such as PACE, Extra Help, and Medicare Savings Programs.
Older adults can call the PA MEDI Helpline at 1-800-783-7067 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or find events and resources at https://www.pa.gov/agencies/aging.
State officials say the twin push — stronger protection against abuse and clearer access to health coverage — reflects a broader effort to keep Pennsylvania’s rapidly growing senior population safe, supported, and secure in their communities.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.