Seventeen years ago, Canadian researcher and founder of the Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse Dr. Elizabeth Podnieks created World Elder Abuse Awareness Day to shine a spotlight on elder abuse, one of the most unrecognized, underreported, and unaddressed issues of the day. Her pioneering effort to raise international awareness of elder abuse was a watershed moment for elder rights. On June 15, 2006—and every year since—the United Nations has officially observed World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD).
Awareness draws us closer to action and a social, cultural, and political environment where real and sustainable change is possible, with the goal of ensuring that older adults live free from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Since the launch of WEAAD, research, practice, and policy initiatives have advanced the field of elder justice. But much more needs to be accomplished to eradicate maltreatment and support the safety and wellbeing of older people.
Elder abuse is a recognized global public health concern impacting an estimated one in 10 older adults living in the community each year. Half of the nearly seven million older Americans living with dementia will experience some form of maltreatment. And while the prevalence of abuse and neglect in long-term care facilities is unknown, according to one study, nearly two-thirds of staffers admitted incidents of abuse in the year prior. The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked further havoc, with estimated incidents of abuse doubling within the older population. As the number of older Americans steadily increases to over 20% of the total population, the incidence of abuse is predicted to rise.
Those most severely impacted by abuse are older people with: multiple chronic conditions, physical and cognitive disabilities, mental illness (which is often unrecognized and untreated), limited social supports, perilous economic reserves, and a lifetime of accumulated traumas. Often marginalized and underserved, these older people are least equipped physiologically, emotionally, socially, and economically to recover following maltreatment. They are also least likely to report incidents of abuse and seek the help or resources that they need to regain safety and mitigate harm.
As we mark WEAAD, we must translate awareness into actionable solutions. Maltreatment of any kind corrodes the fabric of a just and humane society. When one individual’s dignity and personhood is compromised through physical, psychological, sexual, or financial abuse or neglect, we are all diminished. Like every issue of justice facing our society, elder justice requires collective action. ACL is committed to strengthening the national response to elder abuse and promoting elder justice so that older adults can age with dignity and respect, free from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
ACL has supported many key elder justice initiatives, by:
- Establishing the ACL-funded National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA). NCEA hosts a comprehensive publications and research repository, synthesizes and disseminates evidence-based practices, hosts curated website content and relevant webinars, and fosters state and national collaborations to advance elder rights and justice. NCEA has worked to reframe the conversation on elder abuse and aging to recognize elder dignity, challenge ageism, and promote accurate perceptions of aging and older age. It also spearheads the development of training curricula for service providers, delivers technical assistance to professionals and the public, and leads the national WEAAD campaign.
- Establishing and supporting the National Adult Maltreatment Reporting System (NAMRS), the first comprehensive national reporting system for adult protective services (APS) programs. Intended to inform prevention and intervention practices, NAMRS collects quantitative and qualitative data on APS practices and policies. NAMRS also collects data on the number of referrals of alleged maltreatment, number of investigations, characteristics, and outcomes of cases of maltreatment of older adults and adults with disabilities investigated by APS.
- Awarding $346 million through the American Rescue Plan and the COVID-19 recovery bill to improve and strengthen the work of APS. And this year, for the first time in U.S. history, $15 million in federal funding was dedicated specifically to provide ongoing support for APS programs. APS programs will use this funding for a variety of core needs, including emergency housing, wrap-around services, technology, training, partnerships, staffing, reporting, and outreach – all with the goal of empowering clients in the aftermath of abuse.
- Coordinating efforts with national organizations like the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) to effect systemic improvements in maltreatment interventions. NAPSA provides APS programs a forum for sharing information, solving problems, and improving the quality of services for older adults and people with disabilities experiencing maltreatment. ACL’s relationship with NAPSA helps us improve the policies we develop and the technical assistance we provide by directly incorporate feedback from our stakeholders on the ground.
- Partnering with the Department of Justice to educate older Americans and aging services providers on how to fight scams and fraud that too often target older adults. DOJ is the primary federal prosecutor of scams and fraud. Like ACL, DOJ is committed to fighting for justice for older Americans through their Elder Justice Initiative--which provides a robust and holistic response to elder abuse, financial fraud, and scams. ACL is currently cohosting a joint webinar series with DOJ that provides a deep dive into how older adults can understand, resist, and recover from scams and fraud. Learn more and register for the next webinar in the series. In addition to their work addressing scams and fraud, DOJ has launched an ambitious program of litigation that protects and enforces the rights of residents of nursing homes. This effort has improved conditions in many facilities, and has shut down the worst nursing homes. Our Long-term Care Ombudsman programs are working hand-in-hand with DOJ on this effort to ensure the rights of residents are upheld. ACL’s partnership with DOJ demonstrates the whole-of-government response required to raise awareness of elder abuse and advance elder justice.
On behalf of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, ACL also leads the Elder Justice Coordinating Council (EJCC), which brings together partners from across the federal government to address elder abuse, neglect, and exploitations. The EJCC’s work has been centered around the “Eight Recommendations for Increased Federal Involvement in Addressing Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation,” a blueprint for the federal government to prioritize and fund a coordinated elder maltreatment research agenda, innovative best practice interventions, multidisciplinary detection and response systems, and actionable policy measures. Aligned with this agenda, the President’s proposed FY 2024 budget calls for increased funding for elder abuse protections, designating funds to support APS and long-term care ombudsman programs, innovation grants, support programs, and other initiatives to promote elder safety.
WEAAD offers an opportunity to chart the progress we have made in the field to eradicate abuse. It is also a reminder of the work that must be done, through collective efforts, to finally put an end to elder maltreatment and better the lives of the millions of older people and their loved ones who have been impacted by abuse.