This year, Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala, Jr. set out to celebrate Older Americans’ Month with his largest event to date. The Senior Justice & Wellness Fest welcomed more than 700 individuals to the Pittsburgh Shrine Center on May 13, 2026, to take part in a festive-filled day, focused on this year’s theme, “Champion Your Health.”
The fest featured free activities and opportunities aimed to appreciate a life-time worth of contributions to the community.
“Our community is very fortunate to have such a vast senior population,” said DA Zappala. “For the most part, these are people who have lived in Allegheny County their entire lives, building the very sense of community that we’re known for today, and they deserve to be thanked.”
Older adults throughout the county were invited to enjoy a program of expert speakers in a variety of related fields, engage with over 40 organizations providing essential services and enter to win from a large selection of door prizes.
Sponsored in partnership with Babb Inc., each guest was greeted with a tote bag supplied with information to help avoid becoming a victim of fraud or abuse. Thanks to UPMC, a team of medical professionals were available, offering basic medical screenings and mobile x-rays.
Jackie McMurray of Life in Motion Gym, got the crowd moving with a session of chair yoga. As a licensed physical therapist, McMurray specializes in helping those with neurological conditions, as well as orthopedics, maintain physical independence through adaptive exercises.
From physical health to brain health, Diane Powell from Community & Family Builders took the podium to educate seniors on proactive steps they can take to avoid Alzheimer’s and dementia. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, nearly 7.4 million older adults in the United States have been diagnosed with dementia.
“It doesn’t just affect the person living with dementia,” said Powell. “It ripples out to our families, our relationships and entire communities.”
Powell’s practical suggestions to power brain health include monitoring high blood pressure, healthy weight and eating habits, physical activity, ensuring regular quality sleep and challenging your mind to provoke engaging thought.
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Judge Michael McCarthy, then addressed attendees about the guardianship system and how it is administered through Orphans’ Court.
“As an appointed guardian, you have a duty to be diligent, to handle funds and/or medical decisions,” said Judge McCarthy. “Sometimes we see the possibility of criminality, with people wanting to abuse that power, and that’s when we pass that on to the District Attorney’s Office for further investigation.”
Following Judge McCarthy, DA Senior Justice Advocates, Cyndie Carioli and Joe Giuffre, moderated a panel of professional experts of crimes against seniors. Panelists included Alison Hall of the Allegheny County DA’s Office, Anita White of the Center for Victims and Rob Peirce of Robert Peirce & Associates, who highlighted helpful topics such as awareness, prevention, and community support available for older adults.
The experts stressed the need to check in with loved ones on a regular basis and to be aware of anything out of the ordinary to help prevent fraud and abuse.
“If you see something, say something,” said White. “Today it’s one person, but tomorrow it could be you, and it happens too much.”
During an intermission, attendees were treated to a picnic-style lunch in the pavilion, accompanied by the live music of the Kenny Blake Band.
After lunch, Deputy Attorney General Sam Zappala, spoke about his role in the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, prosecuting criminals who steal from state funding by taking advantage of care-dependent individuals.
“Fraud and neglect cases go hand in hand,” said Sam. “A lot of the times where people are misrepresenting services, there’s an actual patient who really needs those services. If they’re not actually being taken care of, that is neglect.”
The Office of the Attorney General accepts referrals for further investigation from care providers, assistance agencies and private citizens.
Sam warmly welcomed his father, DA Zappala, who began by emphasizing the importance of in-person gatherings when it comes to fraud and abuse of older adults.
“A great deal of my job is preventive in nature, and that’s why events like this need to take place,” said DA Zappala. “We want to reach as many people as possible to communicate that when somebody takes advantage of you, we need to know as soon as possible to be able to track the assets that were taken from you.”
DA Zappala made a special recognition to Chief Justice Debra Todd of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and presented her with the 2026 Former Chief Justice Stephen A. Zappala Award, in memory of his late father.
“The basis for this recognition is that there is no one in this Commonwealth that has done more for older people,” said DA Zappala. “I’ve had the pleasure of serving on the Elder Justice Advisory Council, led by the Chief Justice, for the past 15 years. She brought the state’s best, in regards to seniors, together to establish the best practices in all four corners of Pennsylvania.”
In her acceptance remarks, Chief Justice Debra Todd reminded the audience that the criminal justice system relies on the public’s trust and its reporting of wrongdoing.
“Pennsylvania has seen thousands of complaints and hundreds of millions of dollars lost,” said Chief Justice Todd. “Those numbers represent real people and real harm. I want you to know, reporting matters. When fraud is reported, it helps strengthen the response across the justice system and improves our ability to hold criminals responsible.”
Chief Justice Todd expressed bright hopes for the future, while continuing to work with DA Zappala towards their common goal for elder justice.
Dr. Noelle DiGioia Guthrie, of UPMC Magee’s Bone & Joint Center, followed to give listeners an inside look at various aspects of osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is the lead cause of disability in the United States, affecting nearly 58 million people.
“Joint pain is a vicious cycle,” said Dr. Guthrie. “When you have joint pain, it limits your mobility, which then causes your physical activity to be limited and can cause you to have more weight gain and poor health outcomes, leading to even more pressure on your joints.”
Staying active with movement, weight management and eating anti-inflammatory super foods like nuts and greeny leafy vegetables are all ways to fight against osteoarthritis.
Concluding the day’s program was Pittsburgh’s gardening guru, Doug Oster, telling seniors how they can easily grow their garden through the use of containers.
“Gardening is supposed to be fun, not stressful,” said Oster. “Containers and raised beds are perfect for us who are getting older, and those with disabilities because it keeps everything at a higher level.”
Oster assured that anything grown in a garden can thrive in a container, as long as it’s the right plant in the right container.
For more information about senior fraud and abuse, or to get updates about the DA’s future Senior Justice & Wellness events, sign up for our Fraud Squad Alerts.
