March Against Elder Abuse in Brockton and Plymouth. Local marches held in June raise awareness of elder abuse.

June 15^th is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) and to raise awareness, local “March Against Elder Abuse” events will be held in Brockton and Plymouth, MA.

Old Colony Elder Services (OCES), in partnership with the Brockton Council on Aging, Plymouth Center for Active Living, Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office, and Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office will hold two FREE one-mile marches to raise awareness of elder abuse in June.

The Brockton March Against Elder Abuse will be held Tuesday, June 16, 2026 from 11 a.m. to

2 p.m. beginning at the Brockton Council on Aging (COA), 10 Father Kenney Way, Brockton. Registration begins at 10:30 am. Join the March down Main Street with a brief stop at OCES and back to the COA for lunch. Registration is required. To register, call the COA at 508-580-7811 or visit https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/5d6psqp

The Plymouth March Against Elder Abuse will be held Thursday, June 25, 2026 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. beginning at Hotel 1620, 180 Water St., Plymouth. Registration begins at 10:30 am. Join the March down Main Street followed by a light lunch at Hotel 1620. There will be free parking behind Hotel 1620, but limited, off-street parking is available for a fee. Registration is required. To register, visit https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/4yxmy97

March Against Elder Abuse events are part of OCES’ WEAAD campaign. These critical events aim to raise awareness about the devastating impacts of elder abuse and promote a safer, more supportive environment for older adults in our community.

According to Teresa Kourtz, LSW, MSG, Protective Services Director at OCES, “Elder abuse is known as a ‘silent problem’. It is estimated that only 1 in 14 cases are reported, which is why raising awareness of elder abuse and its signs are so important.”

The March Against Elder Abuse events are sponsored by Abbott Home Health Care.

To learn more about WEAAD, visit https://ncea.usc.edu/weaad/

In addition to participating in the March Against Elder Abuse events, there are many ways to get involved, including sponsoring the events, sharing educational materials with your networks, and making a donation to support OCES’ Protective Services Department as they advocate for and assist older adults.

One in 10 older adults aged 60+ have experienced some form of elder abuse according to the National Center on Elder Abuse. Elder abuse includes physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, neglect, self-neglect, and financial exploitation. According to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Aging and Independence, 46,426 elder abuse reports were received during Fiscal Year 2025.

OCES’ Protective Services Program works with older adults, or their designees, to help prevent, address, and resolve situations involving elder abuse. When a report is made to the Centralized Intake Unit (Elder Abuse Hotline) and the older adult resides within OCES’ service area, the report is forwarded to OCES to determine whether further investigation by a Protective Services Worker is needed.

If you have concerns, please contact your local Protective Services Agency. To report elder abuse, contact the Elder Abuse Hotline at 1-800-922-2275.

We are excited to share important news: The Executive Office of Aging and Independence (AGE) has designated OCES as the Aging Services Access Point (ASAP) for Greater Plymouth County and the South Shore area. Starting June 1, 2026, OCES will serve an expanded region, including the following communities for OCES Protective Services (new areas are highlighted in bold):

Abington, Avon, Braintree, Bridgewater, Brockton, Carver, Cohasset, Duxbury, East Bridgewater, Easton, Halifax, Hanson, Hanover, Hingham, Holbrook, Hull, Kingston, Lakeville, Marshfield, Middleborough, Milton, Norwell, Pembroke, Plymouth, Plympton, Quincy, Randolph, Rockland, Scituate, Stoughton, Wareham, West Bridgewater, Weymouth, and Whitman.

OCES, South Shore Elder Services, and Executive Office of Aging and Independence are working together to ensure a smooth transition for both consumers and providers.