I haven’t ever explained the Elder Abuse Forensic Center. A grant allowed the adult protection team at county hospital to develop a team with the district attorney, city prosecutors, civil attorneys, geriatric doctors, police and sheriff’s detectives, advocates, adult protective services workers and my own mental health team. We meet every week to identify ways the team can act directly and indirectly to protect vulnerable older adults from criminal abuse. I also meet with the Coroner/ DA led elder death review team and I am the foreperson of a federal investigative grand jury. I tell you all this to prepare for this message. There is no federal law addressing elder abuse. There isn’t federal policy about the specific crimes committed against older adults. As the baby boom generation begins to age into seniority, I think it would behoove us to support long-needed policies on this type of crime. Why would that be needed?
I hear FBI agents, and ICE agents, and NCIS and Postal Inspectors and Forest Service and Internal Revenue testify and give evidence. I speak with City Police and County Sheriffs. They say that there is very specific training on child abuse but not elder abuse. Maybe the fraud investigators or homicide detectives have a smattering of experience that deals with specialty crimes against the older adult.
There needs to be policy on a national level. We need to make this an issue in next year’s elections. See www.ncea.aoa.gov for current legislation.
On an immediate level, I notice how many of the cases that reach prosecution begin with anonymous tips and reports. If you are afraid someone is being hurt, tell someone. If nothing is wrong, at least they were checked out. If something is wrong, you may have saved a life. If you are a mandated reporter, you may have saved your job. ELDER ABUSE HOT LINE (877) 4-R-SENIORS (877) 477-3646