District Attorney General Lisa Zavogiannis has been elected to serve as ch+air of the Elder Abuse Task Force, a statewide organization she’s served on since its inception in 2014.

The Elder Abuse Task Force focuses on legislative issues that, if passed by the Tennessee General Assembly, will help to protect older residents from financial exploitation by a relative, caregiver, or con artist.

“What are we as a people if we don’t protect our children and our elderly?” said Zavogiannis. “Working on this task force is something that’s near and dear to me and to be elected as chair is certainly an honor. I think we’re one of the best states in the nation when it comes to protecting our elderly.”

The task force was formed in 2014 by then-Gov. Bill Haslam as a way to provide legislative solutions to curb financial exploitation of the elderly. One piece of legislation which has been passed is called the Pause Law, which gives bank officials the authority to hold off on financial transactions if it is believed the person is being deceived or strong-armed.

“A key element to this is response time,” said Zavogiannis. “Creating a faster and more efficient way for authorities to be alerted to a situation can allow for more time to ensure the appropriate courses of action are being taken.” 

Before being elected as chair, Zavogiannis served as vice chair of the task force.

Other members of the Elder Abuse Task Force include representatives from the Tennessee departments of Commerce and Insurance, Financial Institutions, Health, and Human Services. Additional stakeholders on the task force include state Sen. Paul Rose and representatives from the TBI, Tennessee Bankers Association, Tennessee Credit Union League, and the Tennessee Health Care Association.