The first national summit on elder abuse, dedicated to NCPEA's founding president, Dr. Rosalie Wolf, was held December 4-6, 2001 in Washington D.C. The event was sponsored by the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) with support from the Administration on Aging and the Department of Justice, Office of Victims of Crime. Over eighty experts in elder abuse from across the country deliberated for two days, emerging with an action agenda that included twenty-one recommendations (the agenda as well as updates on summit-related activities can be found on NCEA's website at http://www.elderabusecenter.org).

NCPEA was well represented at the event and will work closely with its partners in NCEA to develop strategies for legislation and policy. This includes working with NCPEA affiliates to carry out grass roots projects. For example, staff and board members have agreed to work with representatives from Ohio's three NCPEA affiliates as they plan an Ohio Summit. In addition, a special double issue on nexus, which will focus on what affiliates and other community groups can do to support the action agenda, is currently in production.

NCPEA will also take advantage of being housed in Washington to assume a leadership role in other action plan activities that involve communicating with senators. Included on the Action Agenda is calling for a General Accounting Office (GAO) study to explore elder abuse and requesting an executive order.

The partner organizations of the National Center on Elder Abuse who helped coordinate the summit were the National Association of State Units on Aging, Institute on Aging (formerly the Goldman Institution on Aging, San Francisco), National Association of Adult Protective Services Administrators, Clearinghouse on Abuse and Neglect of the Elderly, American Bar Association Commission on Legal Problems of the Elderly, and the National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse.