[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 110 (Thursday, June 24, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S4787]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 295--DESIGNATING JUNE 15, 2021, AS ``WORLD ELDER 
ABUSE AWARENESS DAY'' AND THE MONTH OF JUNE AS ``ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS 
                                MONTH''

  Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself and Mr. Blumenthal) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 295

       Whereas, in 2021, approximately 55,000,000 residents of the 
     United States, or about 1 in every 6 individuals, have 
     attained the age of 65;
       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 more than 1 in 10 individuals in the United States 
     over the age of 60 have been subjected to abuse each year, 
     with many such victims enduring abuse in multiple forms, 
     according to the American Journal of Public Health;
       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 during their lifetime, 
     according to the Department of Justice;
       Whereas only a small fraction of elder abuse cases are 
     reported to the authorities;
       Whereas, on June 15, 2021, which was World Elder Abuse 
     Awareness Day, the United States mourned the loss of a 
     disturbing number of older people in the United States, who 
     perished in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities 
     during the COVID-19 pandemic;
       Whereas, the COVID-19 pandemic also has led to the 
     emergence of new scams against older adults, including those 
     related to vaccines;
       Whereas, there has been an increase in hate crimes 
     committed against older, Asian Americans during the COVID-19 
     pandemic;
       Whereas, Congress recently passed and the President signed 
     2 measures that make nearly $400,000,000 available for 
     implementation of Elder Justice Act (42 U.S.C. 1395i-3a et 
     seq.) initiatives, 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 
     (42 U.S.C. 1395i-3a et seq.), 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), and the 
     Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260), 
     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, 2021, as ``World Elder Abuse 
     Awareness Day'' and the month of June 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 
     Administrations and involves 14 different Federal agencies;
       (C) the essential work done by adult protective services 
     personnel, who regularly came to the assistance of victims, 
     investigated reports of abuse, and actively prevented future 
     victimization of older people in the United States, 
     especially during the ongoing 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 living in 
     the community or in long-term care facilities.

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