On the recordMarch 2, 2011
I rise today with Senators Blumenthal, Sherrod Brown, and Casey to introduce the End Abuse in Later Life Act of 2011. This legislation improves the provisions in the existing Violence Against Women Act dealing with abuse in later life by enhancing direct services for victims and increasing the kinds of experts who participate in multidisciplinary training programs. Abuse in later life is a sad and growing problem in our society. Experts conservatively estimate that 14.1 percent of older Americans have been injured, exploited, or otherwise mistreated by someone on whom they depend for care or protection each year. This type of abuse is especially disturbing because the victims are often physically frail, defenseless, and very frightened. It is time that we take action on the Federal level to protect older Americans who fall victim to physical, financial, sexual and emotional abuse. We can do this by training law enforcement, prosecutors, governmental agencies, victim advocates, and relevant court officers to recognize and address instances of abuse in later life. This legislation also encourages cross-training of these groups and multidisciplinary collaborative community efforts in order to better serve victims. By passing this legislation, we will ensure that abuse later in life is given the serious consideration it deserves and make great strides to protect one of the most vulnerable populations in America.
