A group of Democratic senators have introduced the much-needed and much-anticipated Elder Protection and Abuse Prevention Act. The bill, sponsored by Senators Blumenthal of Connecticut, Franken of Minnesota, Whitehouse of Rhode Island, and Casey of Pennsylvania, would implement a network of screening and support programs to identify and prevent elder abuse.
For too long, our nation's seniors have fallen through the cracks. While child abuse and domestic violence screenings have been integrated into health and community services, elder abuse screening hasn't. America's federally-funded senior services haven't followed suit to protect another equally vulnerable population - seniors.
The Elder Protection and Abuse Prevention Act aims to fill that void by encouraging a network of elder abuse screenings and support programs to spotlight trends and prevent abuse before it happens. In addition to providing screenings, the bill would toughen federal standards for abuse. For years, the definition of elder abuse has differed between the Elder Justice Act and the Older Americans Act. Under the bill, Adult Protective Services would be designated as the sole victims services resource for adults with the authority to act on reports of abuse. The bill also expands elder abuse to include financial exploitation, the first time such abuse has been included in a federal statute.
Most importantly, the bill will compel states to do a better job of protecting seniors. To be eligible for federal dollars, state senior service access points will be required to incorporate elder abuse prevention training, screening, and reporting protocol into their programs.
As a nursing home and assisted living abuse and neglect attorney, I've seen too many heartbreaking cases that could have been prevented with adequate screening and education, and the Elder Protection and Abuse Prevention Act is a step forward for America's seniors. As our Baby Boomer generation continues to age, we need to shift our focus to elder abuse prevention to protect one of our most vulnerable populations.
To learn more about the Elder Protection and Abuse Prevention Act, click here.