[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 96 (Thursday, June 16, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S4305]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 498--DESIGNATING JUNE 15, 2016, AS ``WORLD ELDER 
                         ABUSE AWARENESS DAY''

  Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself, Ms. Collins, Ms. Ayotte, Mrs. McCaskill, 
Mr. Grassley, Mr. Casey, Mr. Cotton, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Murphy, and Mr. 
Heller) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 
agreed to:

                              S. Res. 498

       Whereas Federal Government estimates show that more than 1 
     in 10 persons over age 60, or 6,000,000 individuals, are 
     victims of elder abuse each year;
       Whereas the vast majority of the abuse, neglect, and 
     exploitation of older adults in the United States goes 
     unidentified and unreported;
       Whereas only 1 in 44 cases of financial abuse of older 
     adults is reported;
       Whereas at least $2,900,000,000 is taken from older adults 
     each year due to financial abuse and exploitation;
       Whereas elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation have no 
     boundaries and cross all racial, social, class, gender, and 
     geographic lines;
       Whereas older adults who are abused are 3 times more likely 
     to die earlier than older adults of the same age who are not 
     abused;
       Whereas \1/2\ of all older adults with dementia will 
     experience abuse;
       Whereas providing unwanted medical treatment can be a form 
     of elder abuse and exploitation;
       Whereas public awareness has the potential to increase the 
     identification and reporting of elder abuse by the public, 
     professionals, and victims, and can act as a catalyst to 
     promote issue-based education and long-term prevention;
       Whereas private individuals and public agencies must work 
     together on the Federal, State, and local levels to combat 
     increasing occurrences of abuse, neglect, and exploitation 
     crime and violence against vulnerable older adults and 
     vulnerable adults, particularly in light of limited resources 
     for vital protective services; and
       Whereas 2016 is the 11th anniversary of World Elder Abuse 
     Awareness Day: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates June 15, 2016, as ``World Elder Abuse 
     Awareness Day'';
       (2) recognizes judges, lawyers, adult protective services 
     professionals, law enforcement officers, long-term care 
     ombudsmen, social workers, health care providers, 
     professional guardians, advocates for victims, and other 
     professionals and agencies for the efforts to advance 
     awareness of elder abuse; and
       (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 by reaching 
     out to local adult protective services agencies, long-term 
     care ombudsman programs, and the National Center on Elder 
     Abuse, and by learning to recognize, detect, report, and 
     respond to elder abuse.

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