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 1994.
10.25 :  Projects on Domestic Violence Against Older Women

Contact:  Moya Benoit Thompson     202/401-4541
Tuesday, Oct. 25, 1994


                AoA AWARDS $1.2 MILLION FOR PROJECTS 
              ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST OLDER WOMEN

     Fernando M. Torres-Gil, assistant secretary for aging in the 
Department of Health and Human Services, has announced that five
two-year model projects aimed at protecting older women against
domestic violence have been awarded grants totaling more than $1.2
million by the Administration on Aging.  

     "The issue of domestic violence has received increased public
attention in recent months, and I am pleased to join Secretary 
Donna E. Shalala in recognizing October as Domestic Violence
Prevention/Awareness Month.  Millions of women of all ages are
victims of physical and sexual violence each year.  However, the
unique situations faced by older women who experience domestic
violence have largely been ignored," said Torres-Gil.  

     "These model projects will be instrumental in addressing the
critical needs of older women who are victims of domestic violence
in this country." 

     Domestic violence can cause profound physical, psychological
and social consequences for any woman, but the difficulties can be
compounded for older women.  Significant obstacles that older women
face in trying to leave violent relationships include health,
employment, finances, family relationships and the psychological
costs of starting over late in life.     

     The five demonstration projects will link, at state and 
local levels, organizations that are working to combat domestic
violence with established aging organizations in order to develop
effective models of protecting older women against domestic
violence.  Key elements of these projects include safe housing,
advocacy and support of women, criminal justice action, effective
civil protection, systems cooperation and counseling/education
groups for the men who batter.  The five model projects include:

     1.   Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Older
          Battered Women's Project, Madison, Wis. ($125,000 for
          first year) - to develop a statewide program which will
          build upon an existing system of advocacy, technical
          assistance, policy development and education in the area
          of domestic violence.

     2.   Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Assault,
          Development of a Statewide Protocol for Serving Older and
          Disabled Battered Women, Montpelier, Vt. ($124,591 for
          first year) - to develop a statewide response to domestic
          violence against older women by linking the 14 domestic
          violence programs and the 14 Adult Protective Service
          (APS) teams in Vermont.
     
     3.   Mount Zion Institute on Aging, Restructuring
          Aging/Domestic Violence Services for Elderly Women, San
          Francisco, Calif. ($125,000 for first year) - to build
          upon the Mount Zion Institute on Aging's Consortium for
          Elder Abuse Prevention to establish linkages between local
          elder abuse and domestic violence networks in the San
          Francisco area.
       
     4.   Massachusetts Health Research Institute, The Older Women
          and Domestic Violence Project, Boston, Mass. ($124,585 for
          first year) - The Massachusetts Health Research Institute,
          the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the
          Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs and the
          Massachusetts Association of Older Americans will
          collaborate to build a statewide system of services for
          older battered women.

     5.   Women's Center, Protecting Older Women Against Domestic
          Violence, Bloomsburg, Pa. ($104,749 for first year) - to
          coordinate between the Women's Center and the local Area
          Agency on Aging to improve services to older battered
          women in the rural Bloomsburg area.

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