[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 77 (Thursday, June 15, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1159]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO WORLD ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS DAY

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                            HON. ZOE LOFGREN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 15, 2006

  Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 
California Democratic Congressional Delegation, I rise in gratitude to 
recognize the efforts of the International Network for the Prevention 
of Elder Abuse, INPEA, in their extraordinary attempts to raise 
awareness of elder abuse (which encompasses neglect or mal or 
mistreatment) throughout the world. The nature of abuse as a hidden 
problem is now universally accepted. INPEA, as coauthor of the report 
Missing Voice, 2002, with the World Health Organization, states that 
``abuse, neglect and financial exploitation of elders are much more 
common than societies admit.'' Missing Voices demonstrates clear links 
between elder abuse, and disempowerment and discrimination. INPEA 
claims that ``ultimately the challenge for us all is not only to listen 
to what has been said, but to believe and act upon it.'' The key 
objective of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, WEAAD, is to raise 
awareness of the ubiquity of elder abuse and its consequences 
throughout the world.
  World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, seeks to foster independence and 
empowerment for older adults to act for themselves and on their own 
behalf; and to enable older adults to exercise their rights and 
advocate for their own interests. WEAAD also attempts to educate people 
that older adults need to be aware of the problem and of their rights, 
as well as available services and resources in their community. Due to 
the collaborative efforts across the nation, World Elder Abuse 
Awareness Day places an emphasis on the need to encourage closer and 
more positive contact between generations and to strengthen the 
positive attitudes among youth toward their elders.
  Continued education and prevention efforts worldwide need to 
emphasize closer relations between generations and I join my colleagues 
in recognizing all of those community groups across our great Nation 
that have made this issue a priority in their value system. Such 
laudable family tenets will only serve to create a more caring, thus 
stable society.
  Mr. Speaker, my colleagues--Representatives Capps, Cardoza, Eshoo, 
Honda, Lantos, Lee, Linda Sanchez, Loretta Sanchez, Schiff and 
Tauscher--join me in recognizing INPEA for their dedication and 
tireless efforts in raising awareness of elderly abuse and its 
consequences. Our communities will be strengthened as a result of such 
international efforts being promoted today, June 15, 2006, at the 
United Nations Headquarters.

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