[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 774 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 774

 Designating June 15, 2024, as ``World Elder Abuse Awareness Day'' and 
       the month of June 2024 as ``Elder Abuse Awareness Month''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 25, 2024

 Mr. Grassley (for himself and Mr. Blumenthal) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Designating June 15, 2024, as ``World Elder Abuse Awareness Day'' and 
       the month of June 2024 as ``Elder Abuse Awareness Month''.

Whereas, in 2021, approximately 55,000,000 residents of the United States, or 
        about 1 in every 6 individuals, had attained the age of 65, and by 2060, 
        nearly 95,000,000 individuals in the United States, or about 1 in every 
        4 individuals, will be over the age of 65, according to estimates by the 
        Bureau of the Census;
Whereas, in 2029, it is anticipated that older adults will outnumber children 
        for the first time, according to the Bureau of the Census;
Whereas elder abuse remains a challenging problem and 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 about 1 in 10 adults over the age of 60 are subjected to abuse, neglect, 
        or financial exploitation each year, according to the National Institute 
        on Aging;
Whereas the annual loss by victims of financial abuse is estimated to be at 
        least $36,500,000,000, according to the National Council on Aging;
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, or isolation are 
        more likely to become the victims of abuse than those who do not 
        experience cognitive impairment, physical disabilities, or isolation;
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 or neglect during their lifetime, according to the 
        Department of Justice;
Whereas only 1 in 24 cases of elder abuse is reported, according the New York 
        State Office of Children and Family Services;
Whereas, on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the United States mourns the loss 
        of elderly individuals who perished in nursing homes and other long-term 
        care facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic;
Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the emergence of new scams against 
        older adults, including those related to vaccines;
Whereas, during the last 4 years, Congress passed and the President signed 2 
        measures that make nearly $400,000,000 available for implementation of 
        the initiatives under the Elder Justice Act of 2009 (subtitle H of title 
        VI of Public Law 111-148; 124 Stat. 783), the largest funding stream 
        related to such initiatives in the history of the Act; and
Whereas Congress, in passing the Elder Justice Act of 2009 (subtitle H of title 
        VI of Public Law 111-148; 124 Stat. 783), the Older Americans Act of 
        1965 (42 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.), the Elder Abuse Prevention and 
        Prosecution Act (34 U.S.C. 21701 et seq.), the American Rescue Plan Act 
        of 2021 (Public Law 117-2; 135 Stat. 4), and the Consolidated 
        Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260; 134 Stat. 1182), 
        recognized the importance of protecting older people of the United 
        States against abuse and exploitation: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates June 15, 2024, as ``World Elder Abuse 
        Awareness Day'' and the month of June 2024 as ``Elder Abuse 
        Awareness Month'';
            (2) recognizes--
                    (A) judges, lawyers, adult protective services 
                professionals, law enforcement officers, social 
                workers, health care providers, advocates for victims, 
                and other professionals and agencies for their efforts 
                to advance awareness of elder abuse;
                    (B) the important work of the Elder Justice 
                Coordinating Council, which has continued through the 
                previous 2 Presidential administrations and involves 15 
                different Federal agencies;
                    (C) the essential work done by adult protective 
                services personnel, who regularly come to the 
                assistance of victims, investigate reports of abuse, 
                and actively prevent future victimization of older 
                people in the United States, especially during the 
                COVID-19 pandemic as the social isolation of elderly 
                individuals, due to stay-at-home orders, only increased 
                the risk of abuse and neglect; and
                    (D) the importance of supporting 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;
            (3) applauds the work of the Elder Justice Coalition and 
        its members, whose efforts to increase public awareness of 
        elder abuse have 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
            (4) encourages--
                    (A) 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--
                            (i) by reaching out to local adult 
                        protective services agencies, State long-term 
                        care ombudsman programs, and the National 
                        Center on Elder Abuse; and
                            (ii) by learning to recognize, detect, 
                        report, and respond to elder abuse;
                    (B) private individuals and public agencies in the 
                United States to continue 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; and
                    (C) those Federal agencies with responsibility for 
                preventing elder abuse to fully exercise such 
                responsibilities to protect older adults, whether such 
                older adults are living in the community or in long-
                term care facilities.
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