Attorney General Merrick Garland Testifies: Seventeen Federal Agencies Recognize Decade of Federal Progress Addressing Elder Abuse
At a meeting of the Elder Justice Coordinating Council (EJCC) on Wednesday, June 12, 17 federal agencies including the Justice Department and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will look back on a decade in which the federal government has significantly expanded efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation — including in the areas of enforcement, public education, training, interagency collaboration, research, and support for older adults who experience or are at risk of experiencing abuse.
“We know that the vast majority of elder abuse cases go unreported. And that too many victims remain unseen,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland (above). “That is why the Department of Justice has aggressively targeted perpetrators of elder fraud and abuse, while providing victims with the support they need. In the last five years, the Department has pursued more than 1,500 criminal and civil cases involving conduct that targeted or disproportionately affected older adults. We have provided services to more than 1.5 million older victims. And we have returned hundreds of millions of dollars to elder fraud victims. The Elder Justice Coordinating Council has played a key role in our work.”
“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to supporting the health, well-being, and independence of older adults and to advancing equity for all Americans. Elder justice is a crucial element of both,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “Today, we celebrate the progress we have made advancing elder justice. But we will not rest until every older person lives with dignity and without fear of abuse or neglect.”
“We know that it will take an all-of-government approach to make our shared vision of elder justice and community inclusion a reality, and in the last decade, the federal response to elder abuse has become more robust and coordinated,” said Alison Barkoff, who leads the Administration for Community Living. “It is incredible to reflect on the progress we have made in the years since the EJCC first convened. We have a lot of progress to build upon and so many opportunities to do more. The work of advancing elder justice has never been more important, or more urgent.”
The EJCC was established by the 2010 Elder Justice Act to coordinate federal activities related to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation across the federal government. Today’s meeting looked back on accomplishments in the decade since the EJCC adopted Eight Recommendations for Increased Federal Involvement in Addressing Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation as a common set of priorities to guide federal efforts. Highlights include:
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