[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 89 (Tuesday, May 12, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2381-S2382]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Mr. Menendez, and Mr. Grassley):
  S. 3703. A bill to amend the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution 
Act to improve the prevention of elder abuse and exploitation of 
individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias; to the 
Committee on the Judiciary.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise to introduce the Promoting 
Alzheimer's Awareness to Prevent Elder Abuse Act. I am pleased to be 
joined by my colleagues, Senators Menendez and Grassley, in sponsoring 
this legislation that seeks to help combat elder abuse perpetrated 
against those living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
  An estimated 5.8 million Americans aged 65 and older currently live 
with Alzheimer's disease. This disease takes a tremendous personal and 
economic toll on individuals and their families, and the COVID-19 
crisis has made many of the challenges they face even more difficult.
  People living with Alzheimer's and related dementias make up a large 
proportion of all older Americans who receive adult day services and 
nursing home care, making them among those most vulnerable to COVID-19. 
Many of the public health and safety measures put in place to control 
the spread of COVID-19, including social distancing, also may 
contribute to social isolation, which is one of the greatest risk 
factors for elder abuse. This crisis has also given rise to a number of 
COVID-19-related scams seeking to financially exploit Americans of all 
ages, including seniors.
  Individuals with Alzheimer's are at greater risk for elder abuse. 
According to the National Center on Elder Abuse, approximately one in 
ten Americans aged 60 and older have experienced elder abuse. For 
people with Alzheimer's and related dementias, the prevalence is much 
higher, with some estimates putting it at just over 50 percent.
  This abuse can take a number of forms. In 2015, the Aging Committee 
heard from Philip Marshall, the grandson of philanthropist Brooke 
Astor, who testified that his father neglected

[[Page S2382]]

his mother's health and safety and mismanaged her assets while she 
suffered from Alzheimer's disease.
  More recently, a constituent called the Aging Committee Fraud Hotline 
after she discovered a contracting scam targeting her aunt and uncle. 
These scammers repeatedly charged her aunt and uncle, who both have 
dementia, for the same driveway sealing services and other handyman 
tasks, stealing $34,000 of their hard-earned savings.
  Identifying, investigating, and prosecuting elder abuse cases often 
involve several challenges. Victims may not be able to report the abuse 
they are experiencing, and prosecutors may need to prove the case 
without the victim's testimony. When elder abuse victims or witnesses 
have Alzheimer's or related dementia, these challenges can be 
exacerbated.
  Specialized knowledge and training can help address the issues of 
abuse and fraud. The Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act, which 
became law in 2017, required the Department of Justice to develop 
training materials to help criminal justice, social services, and 
health care personnel investigate elder abuse cases and assess, respond 
to, and interact with the victims and witnesses in these cases. The 
legislation I am introducing today would build on this law by requiring 
the Department to ensure that these elder abuse training materials 
incorporate best practices for responding to elder abuse victims and 
witnesses who have Alzheimer's or other related dementias.
  This legislation would also require the Department to consult with 
federal, state, and local partners and stakeholders in developing its 
elder justice training materials and to update these training materials 
to reflect new best practices.
  As Chairman of the Senate Aging Committee, one of my top priorities 
is protecting seniors against abuse. The Promoting Alzheimer's 
Awareness to Prevent Elder Abuse Act would help to ensure that the 
frontline professionals who are leading the charge against elder abuse 
have the training needed to respond to cases where the victim or a 
witness has Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia. I urge my 
colleagues to support this bill.
  Thank you, Mr. President.

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