Keeping Ohio Seniors Safe

The Ohio House of Representatives has been working hard to pass legislation that will help some of the most vulnerable populations in our state. One of these pieces of legislation is House Bill 49, which focuses on keeping our seniors safe by combatting the abuse they may face.

Unfortunately, abuse and neglect, to the age 60-plus population, occur daily but often go unreported. In response to this, two of my colleagues introduced HB 49, also known as the Elder Justice Act. This legislation requires the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) to create a registry to track elder abuse. This registry will allow for patterns and trends to be found in order to discover ways to prevent future crimes.

Through the Elder Justice Act, ODJFS is required to submit a report outlining a process to implement the registry and document the estimated cost to both the state and county Job and Family Service departments for such a project. HB 49 will also provide a program of ongoing, comprehensive training for protective service caseworkers who are required to report abuse.

In addition to the registry, HB 49 adds to the definition of elder abuse, which currently focuses on physical harm. The definition would be expanded to include abandonment and financial harm. Financial abuse, especially, is a growing problem as technologies continue to develop and criminals become more creative.

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Keeping Ohio Seniors Safe