[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 102 (Thursday, June 15, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3557-S3558]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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  SENATE RESOLUTION 194--DESIGNATING JUNE 15, 2017, AS ``WORLD ELDER 
                         ABUSE AWARENESS DAY''

  Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Grassley, 
Mr. Casey, Mr. Cotton, Mr. Tillis, and Mrs. McCaskill) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 194

       Whereas the Federal Government estimates that more than 1 
     in 10 persons over the age of 60 are victims of elder abuse 
     each year;
       Whereas abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older adults in 
     the United States goes unidentified and unreported due to an 
     inability to report or a fear of reporting;
       Whereas only 1 in 14 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;

[[Page S3558]]

       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, exploitation crime, 
     and violence against vulnerable older adults and vulnerable 
     adults, particularly in light of limited resources for vital 
     protective services; and
       Whereas 2017 is the 12th anniversary of World Elder Abuse 
     Awareness Day: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates June 15, 2017, 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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