[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 117 (Friday, June 17, 2022)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 36381-36382]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-13215]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 117 / Friday, June 17, 2022 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 36381]]

                Proclamation 10416 of June 14, 2022

                
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, 2022

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                It is more vital than ever that we ensure our older 
                adults can age with the dignity, security, and 
                appreciation that every person deserves. Honoring and 
                respecting older Americans is a matter of basic human 
                dignity and justice--it is part of the character of our 
                Nation. Yet every year, many Americans aged 60 and 
                older experience abuse and neglect. On World Elder 
                Abuse Awareness Day, we join the international 
                community to raise awareness and help end elder abuse 
                here at home and across the world.

                Elder abuse takes many forms, such as financial, 
                emotional, physical, and sexual harm, including 
                intimate partner violence in later life. It often comes 
                in the form of neglect, abandonment, or exploitation. 
                It is estimated that approximately 1 in 10 elderly 
                Americans are abused annually. However, many of those 
                who are abused suffer in silence, and many cases are 
                never reported or brought to light. In the past few 
                years, while the pandemic isolated all of us to 
                different extents, it especially exacerbated the 
                isolation felt by too many older adults. All of us have 
                a role to play in preventing elder abuse and ensuring 
                that our Nation's seniors are able to age with dignity. 
                With a majority of elder abuse victims being women, my 
                Administration is focused particularly on improving our 
                support for all women and preventing and addressing 
                gender-based violence that impacts older adults both 
                domestically and abroad.

                We must remain steadfast in our commitment to 
                preventing elder abuse. My Administration allotted $178 
                million through the American Rescue Plan and the COVID-
                19 recovery bill to improve and strengthen the work of 
                Adult Protective Services (APS). Additionally, my 
                budget proposal for 2023 would provide ongoing support 
                for APS and State Long-Term Care Ombudsman programs. 
                Our comprehensive, collaborative efforts to respond to 
                elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation include 
                initiatives to reform guardianship, support adult 
                decision-making, crack down on scammers and fraudsters, 
                and empower victims of exploitation. Our commitment to 
                supporting survivors of all ages is reflected in the 
                reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, 
                which includes dedicated Federal funds to support 
                survivor service providers, law enforcement, and 
                prosecutors working to respond to domestic and sexual 
                violence experienced by older adults.

                As we continue to build a better America, we must 
                ensure that we bring everyone along. That is why my 
                Administration is committed to safeguarding the rights 
                of those who live in retirement and shared residential 
                settings. I have called on the Congress to deliver 
                significant reforms to improve the safety and quality 
                of care in our Nation's nursing homes. Recognizing the 
                critical work of caregivers, I have also proposed 
                measures to create a strong and well-compensated 
                caregiving workforce to advance the well-being of our 
                Nation's older adults. By ensuring a high quality of 
                life and care for older Americans, we can support every 
                community and honor the dignity of every person.

                On this World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, let us 
                recommit to delivering all older Americans the promise 
                of a comfortable and peaceful life with dignity. Let us 
                reaffirm our commitment to a world free from the 
                scourge

[[Page 36382]]

                of abuse and neglect. Let us join the world in 
                celebrating the essential role older adults play in our 
                lives.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 15, 2022, 
                as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. I encourage all 
                Americans to be diligent, work together to strengthen 
                existing partnerships, and develop new opportunities to 
                improve our Nation's prevention and response to elder 
                abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                fourteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-two, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                sixth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2022-13215
Filed 6-16-22; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F2-P