SAVANNAH — Georgia Southern University and Senior Citizens Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to helping people age comfortably, have partnered to co-host the annual Elder Abuse Conference on Oct. 3 at the Coastal Georgia Center in downtown Savannah.
 The one-day conference will feature professionals from around Georgia speaking about issues associated with elder abuse and the implications on those adults who are at risk of abuse.
 “Our inaugural conference last year was a great success.  We received excellent feedback and look forward to increasing knowledge on this important topic,” Senior Citizens Inc. Vice President Jenny House said.
 According to the National Center of Elder Abuse, research suggests that only about 1 in 14 cases of elder abuse are reported to authorities. The study found that for every one case reported to authorities, there actually may be as many as 24 cases not being reported. With a growing elderly population, the risk factors for higher numbers of abuse cases increase every year.
“The Senior Citizens, Inc. mission revolves around protecting and enhancing the lives of seniors in our community, therefore we are proud to be partners with Georgia Southern University in bringing this issue into the foreground,” House said.       
The agenda for the conference will focus on detecting and preventing elder abuse through these seminars: “Overview of Elder Abuse,” “The Guiding Principles of Adult Protective Services,” “Court Case — from Report to Prosecution,” “Elder Abuse in Long-term Care Settings,” “Financial Exploitation” and “Elder Abuse and Your Employees — Help for HR.”   
 Participants may be eligible to receive continuing-education units for attendance of the conference. CEUs applied for include Licensed Professional Counselors Association, Institute of Certified Bankers, Georgia State Bar Association, Peace Officer Standards and Training, Marriage and Family Therapists, Human Resource Certification Institute and the National Association of Social Workers.
 Conference participants will be awarded .700 CEUs, equivalent to seven credit hours through the Division of Continuing Education at Georgia Southern University.
 Fees are $80 for those who register before Sept. 27, or $90 after that date. Conference fees include one day of sessions, conference materials, refreshment breaks, lunch and continuing education credits. For more information, go to http://academics.georgiasouthern.edu/ce/conferences/elderabuse/ or call 912-478-2584 or 1-855-478-5551 toll-free.