Earlier this month, a group of Senators renewed their efforts to protect seniors from elder abuse iwth the Elder Protection and Abuse Prevention Act. Democratic Senators, Richard Blumenthal, Al Franken, Sheldon Whitehouse, and Robert Casey introduced this bill, to craft a range of comprehensive elder abuse prevention 

The bill prods more third parties to stop elder abuse when they can do so. Federal definitions of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation would be toughened. The definitions would be better aligned with the two prior bills that adressed this issue: the Elder Justice Act and the Older American Act. Those bills never defined elder financial abuse, which is a problem of epidemic proportions among seniors in our country,

Additionally, the bill requires better coordination of elder abuse justice programs nationwide and expands the National Adult Protective Services Resource Center to provide additional services and guidance to states. The measure would also require the development of best practices for elder abuse screening and increase support for state prevention, assessment, and response services.

Each of the senators who introduced the bill touched on the fact that the exploitation has gone on for decades will little notice from those in a position to stop it. Senator Casey noted that, “we must bring this largely silent epidemic of elder abuse to an end.