In June 1989, a Congressional subcommittee held hearings entitled "Elder Abuse: An Assessment of the Federal Response." These hearings drew attention to the fact that little action had been taken at the Federal level more than a decade after Congress held its first hearings on elder abuse. State governments were clearly taking the lead in this area. This article provides an overview of the limited action Congress has taken. As of the writing of this article, a bill was pending in the House of Representatives that would authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to States for elder abuse programs. This legislation highlights one of the key issues in enacting legislation to prevent elder abuse, i.e., whether mandatory reporting of known or suspected abuse should be required. It is recommended that Congress study existing State laws requiring mandatory reporting before imposing such a requirement on all. Another issue for Congress to decide is whether existing programs should be used to fund elder abuse programs or if a new program should be created. Among the recommendations for encouraging the Federal Government to play a greater role in this area are: working to increase public awareness and concern, working out differences in the adult protective services community about such issues as mandatory reporting and working to put the issue of elder abuse on the agendas of professional and advocacy organizations.
ELDER ABUSE: THE OUTLOOK FOR FEDERAL LEGISLATION
NCJ Number
145403
Journal
Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect Volume: 3 Issue: 1 Dated: (1991) Pages: 43-52
Date Published
1991
Length
10 pages
Annotation
An overview of the limited Federal response to the problem of elder abuse is provided. Some of the issues that need to be resolved before Federal legislation can be enacted and recommendations for encouraging Federal action are highlighted.
Abstract