[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 117 (Tuesday, June 20, 2023)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 39765-39766]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-13170]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 88 , No. 117 / Tuesday, June 20, 2023 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 39765]]


                Proclamation 10596 of June 14, 2023

                
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, 2023

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Around the world, a silent epidemic of elder abuse is 
                denying seniors the ability to age with dignity, 
                security, and grace. No nation is immune. In America, 1 
                in 10 people over the age of 60 has experienced some 
                form of elder abuse, with cases still widely 
                underreported. On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, we 
                highlight the signs of this crisis, lift up the voices 
                of survivors, and strive to improve resources for those 
                on a path to healing.

                Fighting elder abuse begins with bringing it out of the 
                shadows and raising awareness about its many forms. 
                While some victims show injuries from physical or 
                sexual violence, others experience psychological abuse, 
                neglect, and financial exploitation, which may be more 
                difficult to detect. These offenses can happen 
                anywhere--at home with family or friends, at work among 
                colleagues, online, and in other public and private 
                places. Wherever it occurs, it is antithetical to the 
                basic American belief that every human being, 
                regardless of age, deserves to be treated with dignity 
                and respect.

                To date, my Administration has invested over $430 
                million to strengthen Adult Protective Services across 
                our country, improving their ability to investigate 
                reports of elder abuse; support survivors with 
                emergency needs like food, shelter, or law enforcement 
                protection; and help provide medical and mental health 
                treatment, legal and financial assistance, and more. My 
                2024 Budget calls for an additional $43 million beyond 
                our current spending level to support these vital 
                programs.

                Last year, I reauthorized and strengthened the Violence 
                Against Women Act, which includes dedicated funding for 
                service providers, law enforcement, and prosecutors 
                responding to domestic and sexual violence experienced 
                by older adults. And because America's seniors saw over 
                $3 billion siphoned from their pockets by fraudsters 
                and scammers last year, the Federal Trade Commission, 
                the Federal Communications Commission, the Consumer 
                Financial Protection Bureau, and other regulatory 
                agencies have been laser-focused on identifying, 
                preventing, and, where appropriate, taking enforcement 
                action against loan scams, mortgage scams, romance 
                scams, price gouging, and identity theft. Every 
                American--especially seniors who have worked their 
                whole lives for what they have--deserves the peace of 
                knowing that they are protected from exploitation and 
                that help is close at hand should emergencies arise.

                But the security of elderly people involves more than 
                protecting them against malicious schemes. My 
                Administration is also working to improve the quality 
                of care that older Americans receive at home and in 
                other residential settings. Long-term care costs for 
                the elderly and people with disabilities are up 40 
                percent over the last decade, and too many care workers 
                are underpaid and undervalued. In fact, too many are 
                leaving the profession altogether. That is why, in 
                addition to implementing a National Strategy to Support 
                Family Caregivers, I signed an Executive Order on 
                Increasing Access to High-Quality Care and Supporting 
                Caregivers. It will make long-term care more accessible 
                and affordable for families; support family caregivers 
                shouldering immense responsibility; and improve job 
                quality for home care workers and staff at nursing 
                homes, which in turn bolsters the workforce. I

[[Page 39766]]

                continue calling on the Congress to pass laws that 
                improve the safety and quality of care in nursing 
                homes. My new Budget would also invest $150 billion 
                over the next decade to improve and expand Medicaid 
                home- and community-based services--making it easier 
                for seniors and people with disabilities to receive 
                quality care in their own homes.

                The same principles guiding my Administration's work to 
                protect and support the elderly at home also motivate 
                our partnerships abroad. United States local law 
                enforcement agencies, through Department of State 
                programs, are training foreign counterparts to help 
                them investigate crimes against the elderly and provide 
                assistance to victims. Through the first-ever Strategy 
                on Global Women's Economic Security, we are also 
                working to improve conditions and opportunities for 
                caregivers around the world, many of whom are older 
                women or support aging adults. Our Strategy to Prevent 
                and Respond to Gender-based Violence Globally is 
                meanwhile focused on fighting elder abuse as a form of 
                gender-based violence, recognizing that gender-based 
                violence affects people of all ages, including older 
                adults.

                Today, let us pledge to protect seniors who deserve to 
                be treated with dignity and respect not only because of 
                a lifetime of contribution but because of their 
                overriding humanity. It is fundamental that we shape a 
                world that values seniors' wisdom, celebrates their 
                achievements, and treats their lives and rights as 
                sacred, and it is within our reach to make it a 
                reality.

                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, 2023, 
                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-three, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                seventh.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2023-13170
Filed 6-16-23; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F3-P