Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced a $5.5 million funding opportunity for states and tribes to test ways to prevent elder abuse, neglect and exploitation. This initiative helps to implement the Elder Justice Act, which was enacted as part of the Affordable Care Act. Secretary Sebelius made the announcement at a White House World Elder Abuse Awareness Day commemoration. The event brings together the public and private sector to address elder abuse issues.“We need to be on the look-out for elder abuse and act when we see it,” said Secretary Sebelius. “Today we are sending a clear message that elder abuse will not be tolerated or kept in the shadows.”
Elder abuse is more common than generally believed, the Secretary noted, yet it often goes undiagnosed and unaddressed. Each year, millions of elderly Americans are assaulted, demeaned, intimidated, left without adequate food or care, or robbed of their life savings; yet, research suggests that elder abuse is significantly unreported.
Secretary Sebelius also announced that she will convene the first Elder Justice Coordinating Council meeting, as called for in the Elder Justice Act enacted as part of the health care law. The council, comprised of federal agencies that have responsibilities or programs related to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, will work to address the cross-agency coordination of activities relating to elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.
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HHS Grants to Help Protect Seniors, Test Elder Abuse Strategies
5 comments:
Unless action is taken against court-sanctioned elder abuse, the grants are useless.
Right. The grants seem to be just more ways of making money studying a problem that we already know in and out.
While i"m glad to see World Elder Abuse Awareness Day gaining momentum, it seems it's turned into an opportunity for APS to expand more than anything.
Tell Secretary Ibelius about the Health and Human Services Department in Salem, Oregon- They have ignored my cry for help for 10 years, and recently, when I asked to at least initiate an investigatation of fraud by law enforcement, "Valery Eames"
head of the Elder and Peaople with Disabilities Department stated: " I will think about it" and again, nothing has been done. It is a Domino Effect of agencies, covering their own
unwillingness to look into the intentional fraud of a trusteeship and it's long years of brute consequence for the victim. e.boldt
Sibelius is making great strides in the short time she's been on the job. She's rounded up Medicare embezzlers and created a department just for seniors and the disabled. If anyone might lend an ear to legalized exploitation of elderly and disabled persons, she might be the one.
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