[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 682 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 682
Designating June 15, 2022, as ``World Elder Abuse Awareness Day'' and
the month of June as ``Elder Abuse Awareness Month''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 16, 2022
Mr. Grassley (for himself and Mr. Blumenthal) submitted the following
resolution; which was considered and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Designating June 15, 2022, as ``World Elder Abuse Awareness Day'' and
the month of June as ``Elder Abuse Awareness Month''.
Whereas, in 2021, approximately 53,000,000 residents of the United States, or
about 1 in every 7 individuals, have attained the age of 65, and by
2060, 95,000,000 individuals in the United States will be over the age
of 65 according to estimates by the Bureau of the Census;
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 1 in 24 cases of elder abuse is reported according the New York
State Office of Children and Family Services;
Whereas the Population Reference Bureau estimates that 1,900,000 elders will
live in nursing homes by 2030;
Whereas, in a 2012 study conducted by Michigan State University, approximately
24 percent of the nursing home residents who participated in the study
reported at least one incident of physical abuse by nursing home staff;
Whereas, on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the United States mourned the loss
of elderly individuals who perished in nursing homes and other long-term
care facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic;
Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic 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, within the last 2 years, Congress 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, 2022, 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 15 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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