Protected the elders all over the place (9)
I believe the answer is:
sheltered
'protected' is the definition.
('sheltered' can be similar in meaning to 'protected')
'the elders all over the place' is the wordplay.
'all over the place' is an anagram indicator.
'the'+'elders'='theelders'
'theelders' is an anagram of 'SHELTERED'.
(Other definitions for sheltered that I've seen before include "Hidden" , "Took cover; protected" , "Covered" , "Secluded" , "safe from the elements" .)