****MEDIA ADVISORY****

April 14, 2005

For Immediate Release

ELDER ABUSE PREVENTION PUT IN THE HANDS OF THE ELDERLY

Phones for Life Gives Seniors the Security of Knowing Help is Only a Phone Call Away

New York, NY - It is estimated that more than two million older Americans are victims of physical, psychological, or other forms of abuse and neglect. After a lifetime caring for their families and friends, in their later years many elders often find themselves living alone or in nursing facility, dependant on the care of others. For these vulnerable members of our society, trust in a caregiver - be it a nurse, physician, or family member - is vital to a sense of security. So is the ability to get help if that trust is broken when an instance of elder abuse occurs. Phones for Life, a non-profit organization based in New York City, is working to give seniors the lifeline they need and stem the rising number of cases of elder abuse.

"Having a cell phone is key to empowerment," says Dr. Dee L'Archeveque, founder of Phones for Life. "The ability to summon help is crucial to preventing victimization." By collecting donated and refurbished mobile phones and distributing them to elders, Phones for Life is empowering them with technology and immediate access to emergency services.

Elder abuse can take many forms, including physical abuse, sexual assault, exploitation of material resources, or neglect. When it occurs, victims often do not know where to turn or how to get assistance. For every case of elder abuse reported, it is estimated that at least five cases go unreported.

"By arming elders with Phones for Life phones, we are telling them that they don't need to be a victim in their later years, and they are not powerless," says Phones for Life president and general manager Ray Dorman. "We know it works and it is a technology that needs to be utilized by the elderly now more than ever. We are grateful that 9-1-1 access allows people to stand up and be counted for."

Phones for Life was created in 2000 by L'Archeveque and provides emergency-use cellular phones for the elderly and the disabled. Phones for Life coordinates national phone equipment collections and drives, programs the phones for one touch emergency dialing, and redistributes them to a local donor area.

Addressing elder abuse requires a comprehensive approach from families and care facilities, law enforcement agencies and physicians. Reliable monitoring, oversight, diagnosis, and intervention when necessary should be part of a network of care, and a positive place to start is with an informed discussion of the issue between family members and caregivers. Phones for Life goes a step further and puts prevention in the hands of seniors themselves.

Says Ray Dorman, "Our job is to protect the lives that have given us so much out of life, and empowerment with a cell phone that would otherwise be trash is our mechanism of change. We encourage everyone to donate their used cell phones and support Phones for Life."