Bill Targets On-Hold Wait Times for Reporting Elder Abuse

Police, bankers and doctors are routinely kept on hold for nearly seven minutes — and in some cases for more than an hour — when calling in required alerts of suspected elder abuse to San Diego County authorities.

But that may change if legislation becomes law permitting reports to be submitted through a confidential Internet system.

The state Senate Human Services Committee Tuesday unanimously approved the measure designed to reduce the time it takes for those required by law to report suspected elder abuse.

Reports are now filed by telephone and then converted into a report format, a costly and time-consuming process, according to Ellen Schmeding, San Diego County’s assistant director for Aging and Independence Services.

San Diego County law enforcement has rallied behind Senate Bill 718, carried by Senator Juan Vargas, D-San Diego.

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Bill Targets On-Hold Times for Reporting Elder Abuse