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U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging
Justice for All: Ending Elder Abuse, Neglect and Financial Exploitation
Justice for All: Ending Elder Abuse, Neglect and Financial Exploitation
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The most recent study of the extent of elder abuse estimated that 14.1 percent of non-institutionalized older adults had experienced physical, psychological, or sexual abuse; neglect; or financial exploitation in the past year. This study and three other key studies GAO identified likely underestimate the full extent of elder abuse, however. Most did not ask about all types of abuse or include all types of older adults living in the community, such as those with cognitive impairments. In addition, studies in this area cannot be used to track changes in extent over time because they have not measured elder abuse consistently.
Elder abuse comes in many different forms – physical abuse, emotional abuse, or financial abuse. Each one is devastating in its own right. Many times, sadly, as with my situation, the elder abuse involves a family member. When that happens, you feel scared, disappointed, angry, and you can't believe this is happening to you. You feel overwhelmed. The strength you need to fight it is complicated. You're afraid, but you're also thinking about your other family members. You're thinking about the potential criticism of your family and friends. They may not want to accept the dysfunction that you need to share. Because you love your family and for other reasons, you might feel hesitant to come forward. You might not be able to make rational decisions. What other people see as generosity may, in reality, be the exploitation, manipulation, and sadly, emotional blackmail of older, more vulnerable members of the American public.
States are primarily responsible for protecting older adults from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. In each state, an Adult Protective Services (APS) program aims to identify, investigate, resolve, and prevent such abuse. On the federal level, two statutes establish the government's role and responsibility with regard to elder justice in general—the Older Americans Act of 1965 (OAA) and the Elder Justice Act of 2009 (EJA).
Elder abuse comes in many different forms – physical abuse, emotional abuse, or financial abuse. Each one is devastating in its own right. Many times, sadly, as with my situation, the elder abuse involves a family member. When that happens, you feel scared, disappointed, angry, and you can't believe this is happening to you. You feel overwhelmed. The strength you need to fight it is complicated. You're afraid, but you're also thinking about your other family members. You're thinking about the potential criticism of your family and friends. They may not want to accept the dysfunction that you need to share. Because you love your family and for other reasons, you might feel hesitant to come forward. You might not be able to make rational decisions. What other people see as generosity may, in reality, be the exploitation, manipulation, and sadly, emotional blackmail of older, more vulnerable members of the American public.
States are primarily responsible for protecting older adults from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. In each state, an Adult Protective Services (APS) program aims to identify, investigate, resolve, and prevent such abuse. On the federal level, two statutes establish the government's role and responsibility with regard to elder justice in general—the Older Americans Act of 1965 (OAA) and the Elder Justice Act of 2009 (EJA).
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