On the recordMarch 2, 2011
I rise today with Senators Blumenthal, Sherrod Brown, Casey, Gillibrand, Mikulski and Bill Nelson to introduce the Elder Abuse Victims Act of 2011. This legislation creates in the Department of Justice an Office of Elder Justice, OEJ, that will protect America's seniors by strengthening law enforcement's response to elder abuse. The OEJ will provide leadership, training materials and other needed information to prosecutors, law enforcement, adult protective services and others, in order to build a robust infrastructure to effectively address elder abuse. Additionally, the bill will encourage states to set up multidisciplinary teams where information and resources are shared in order to better serve the victims of elder abuse. The plight of vulnerable seniors is a subject of great concern. Elder abuse is often hidden from sight by the victims themselves. Even so, experts conservatively estimate that as many as two million Americans age 65 and older have been injured, exploited, or otherwise mistreated by someone on whom they depend for care or protection.
