[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 621 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 621

   Designating June 15, 2020, as ``World Elder Abuse Awareness Day''.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 15, 2020

Mr. Grassley (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Collins, Mr. Wyden, Mr. 
 Tillis, Mr. Casey, and Ms. Ernst) submitted the following resolution; 
          which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Designating June 15, 2020, as ``World Elder Abuse Awareness Day''.

Whereas, in 2006, the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse 
        proclaimed June 15th of each year as ``World Elder Abuse Awareness 
        Day'';
Whereas approximately 55,000,000 residents of the United States, or about 1 in 
        every 6 individuals, have attained the age of 65 on the 15th anniversary 
        of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day in 2020;
Whereas elder abuse can come in many different forms, often manifesting as 
        physical, sexual, or psychological abuse, financial exploitation, 
        neglect, and social media abuse;
Whereas elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation have no boundaries and cross all 
        racial, social, class, gender, and geographic lines, according to the 
        Elder Justice Coalition;
Whereas more than 1 in 10 individuals in the United States over the age of 60 
        have been subjected to abuse each year, with many such victims enduring 
        abuse in multiple forms, according to the American Journal of Public 
        Health;
Whereas most reported cases of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older adults 
        take place within private homes, and approximately 90 percent of the 
        perpetrators in elder financial exploitation cases are family members or 
        other trusted individuals, according to the National Adult Protective 
        Services Association;
Whereas research suggests that elderly individuals in the United States who 
        experience cognitive impairment, physical disabilities, and isolation 
        are more likely to become the victims of abuse than those without 
        disabilities;
Whereas other risk factors for elder abuse can include low social support, poor 
        physical health, and experience of previous traumatic events, according 
        to the National Center on Elder Abuse;
Whereas close to half of elderly individuals who suffer from dementia will 
        experience abuse during their lifetime, according to the Department of 
        Justice;
Whereas only a small fraction of elder abuse cases are reported to the 
        authorities;
Whereas there is a need to increase funding for adult protective services 
        programs with the capacity to aid victims, investigate reports of abuse, 
        and actively prevent future victimization, particularly during the 
        ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as the social isolation of elderly 
        individuals due to stay-at-home orders only increases the risk of abuse 
        and neglect;
Whereas the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has fueled demand for programs such as 
        State long-term care ombudsman programs, which help prevent elder abuse 
        and neglect in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, where 
        infection prevention and control deficiencies pose persistent 
        challenges;
Whereas 2020 marks the 10th anniversary of the passage of the Elder Justice Act 
        (subtitle H of title VI of Public Law 111-148) and the 3rd anniversary 
        of the passage of the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act (Public 
        Law 115-70);
Whereas public awareness of elder abuse has the potential to increase the 
        identification and reporting of this crime by the public, professionals, 
        and victims, and can act as a catalyst to promote issue-based education 
        and long-term prevention; and
Whereas private individuals and public agencies in the United States must work 
        together at the Federal, State, and local levels to combat abuse, 
        neglect, exploitation, crime, and violence against vulnerable adults, 
        including vulnerable older adults, particularly in light of limited 
        resources for vital protective services: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates June 15, 2020, as ``World Elder Abuse 
        Awareness Day'';
            (2) recognizes judges, lawyers, adult protective services 
        professionals, law enforcement officers, State long-term care 
        ombudsmen, social workers, health care providers, advocates for 
        victims, and other professionals and agencies for their efforts 
        to advance awareness of elder abuse;
            (3) encourages members of the public and professionals who 
        work with older adults to act as catalysts to promote awareness 
        and long-term prevention of elder abuse--
                    (A) by reaching out to local adult protective 
                services agencies, State long-term care ombudsman 
                programs, and the National Center on Elder Abuse; and
                    (B) by learning to recognize, detect, report, and 
                respond to elder abuse; and
            (4) encourages those Federal agencies with responsibility 
        for preventing elder abuse to fully exercise such 
        responsibilities to protect older adults, whether living in the 
        community or in long-term care facilities.
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