Elder Abuse:

Abstract

While states have taken the lead in responding to elder abuse, the federal government needs to take a stronger role in addressing the problem. In the ten years that have passed since Congress held its first hearings on elder abuse, only a small amount of federal funding has been allocated for combatting elder abuse. Before any future legislative action occurs, Congress needs to look at the efficacy of mandatory reporting of elder abuse in existing state programs and whether funding for elder abuse programs should be authorized through existing programs or a new, separate program should be created. Currently, a bill is before the House of Representatives that addresses elder abuse prevention.