Hearings to examine awareness to action, focusing on combating elder abuse and neglect.

Special Committee on Aging

2025-07-30

Source: Congress.gov

Summary

This meeting addresses the critical and widespread issue of elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation, emphasizing its devastating impact on older adults and the need for comprehensive solutions. Speakers discussed legislative actions, the importance of robust support systems, and collaborative efforts to protect seniors and hold perpetrators accountable, highlighting the preventable nature of many forms of abuse with smart policies and community support.

Themes

Financial Exploitation and Scams

Financial exploitation, including various scams like government impersonation, tech support, romance, and deepfake scams, is a major concern, with seniors losing billions, particularly to cryptocurrency scams[ 00:24:12-00:24:46 ]

Citation requires full transcript

Sign in to continue

Sign in
. Underreporting is rampant, with only about 7% of cases reaching authorities, often due to victim embarrassment, fear of retaliation, or the belief that nothing can be done. Solutions proposed include the Guard Act to train local law enforcement on modern scams, the development of specialized cyber fraud teams, freezing assets, and extensive awareness campaigns for seniors, families, and financial institutions. The discussion also highlighted the dual nature of AI, posing risks with deepfake scams while offering potential tools for tracking criminals[ 00:24:48 ]

Citation requires full transcript

Sign in to continue

Sign in
.

Guardianship Reform

Guardianship, while intended for protection, often transfers control and can expose individuals to further abuse, stripping them of their rights. There is a recognized need for stronger oversight, due process protections, and the exploration of less restrictive alternatives like supported decision-making. Federal action is sought to support state court reforms, research, and data collection to address inconsistencies across states.

Long-Term Care and Nursing Facility Oversight

Ongoing issues in long-term care facilities include inadequate enforcement of standards, increasing complaints, serious deficiencies, and questions about how public funds are spent. Understaffing is directly linked to poor resident outcomes, neglect, and increased instances of abuse. Recommendations include increasing CMS funding for oversight, requiring audited cost reports, holding facility owners accountable, and investing in direct care staff recruitment and retention. The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program was highlighted as a critical advocate for residents, addressing complaints and improving care quality, underscoring the need for sustained federal funding.

Policy Recommendations and Funding

Key legislative recommendations include the reauthorization and full funding of the Older Americans Act (OAA) and the Elder Justice Act, which are considered cornerstones of aging policy providing vital services such as meal delivery and ombudsman programs. The GARD Act is also supported as a means to equip law enforcement against modern scams. Concern was raised about the proposed dismantling of the Administration for Community Living (ACL), which serves as a crucial hub for coordinating aging and disability programs; its weakening would risk losing essential institutional knowledge and collaborative efforts[ 00:19:45 ]

Citation requires full transcript

Sign in to continue

Sign in
. The establishment of multidisciplinary teams is considered essential for effective coordination among agencies and law enforcement[ 00:13:40 ]

Citation requires full transcript

Sign in to continue

Sign in
.

Awareness and Education

A significant challenge is the low rate of reporting elder abuse, stemming from victims' embarrassment, fear of reprisal, or a belief that interventions are ineffective. Effective solutions involve robust public education campaigns to inform older adults and their families about common scams and available resources, emphasizing that seeking help is crucial and not a sign of weakness. Programs like home-delivered meals and congregate meal sites provide essential "eyes and ears" on the ground, helping build trust and identify signs of abuse through regular contact with seniors[ 00:36:59 ]

Citation requires full transcript

Sign in to continue

Sign in
.

Tone of the Meeting

The tone of the meeting was serious and deeply concerned about the widespread and often hidden crisis of elder abuse, with speakers underscoring the severe impact on older Americans. There was a strong sense of urgency, particularly regarding the potential for funding cuts and the dismantling of key protective agencies like the ACL. Despite these concerns, the discussion maintained a collaborative and proactive stance, focusing on legislative, enforcement, and community-based solutions to prevent abuse and protect seniors.

Participants

Transcript

S
Sean Voskuhl
Act led by Senator Britt and Gillibrand and co-sponsored by Chairman Scott which will give local law enforcement the tools to fight financial exploitation.  We appreciate the leadership of other committee members on financial abuse legislation and it's supported by AARP.   Guardianship is another important issue.  While guardianship can protect people from harm, it transfers control over their decisions to another person, and it's not a guarantee of safety.  That's why AARP supports stronger oversight, due process protections, and alternatives like supported decision making.   States are leading the way.  AARP is involved in Oklahoma.  We just passed the Neal's Law as the example I shared with you about Neal.  They allow civil lawsuits against abusers.  Took us four years to pass.  We also passed the dementia training requirement for investigative teams.  And in a few weeks, we are hosting our first ever Tribal Elder Abuse Code Summit in Tulsa.   Another great example in AARP Pennsylvania supported bipartisan legislation improving guardianship system by appointing counsel, requiring exploration of alternatives, and imposing certain certification requirements for professional guardians.   AARP New York successfully advocated for increased budget funding for long-term care ombudsman program that allows them to investigate more long-term care facilities.  And AARP Florida supported legislation requiring the establishment of statewide database of guardianship data, which is important to confront.   In short, elder abuse is real, it's widespread, but it's also preventable with smart policies, strong laws and implementation, trained professionals, strong community support, and successful state solutions should be scaled and expanded.   We urge Congress to reauthorize and fund the Older Americans Act, pass the Guard Act, and expand family and caregiver support, and we encourage further investment in data collection and public education so that older adults and families know their rights and where to turn for help.
S
Sean Voskuhl
Thank you again for the opportunity to testify.  AARP looks forward to working with the committee to ensure all older Americans can age with dignity, safety, and respect.  And if it's okay,   I'd like to give a shout out to Air Peace Capital Hill Strike Force.  They're a strong group of volunteers that help us with our mission every day, and we couldn't do it without them.  Thanks for letting me be here.
Thank you so much.
L
Lori Smetanka, JD
I think the ranking member is going to introduce our last witness today.
Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.  I want to move to introduce our final witness, Ms.  Lori Smetanka.  Ms.  Smetanka serves as the Executive Director of the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, which represents individuals receiving long-term care facilities and home and community-based settings.  Ms.  Smetanka has a long history of advocating for individuals receiving long-term care and services and is a nationally recognized expert on nursing homes, long-term care policy,   and elder abuse.  Thank you for being here.  You may begin your testimony.
L
Lori Smetanka, JD
Thank you, Chairman Scott, Ranking Member Gillibrand, and members of the committee.  Thank you for holding this important hearing.  The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care is the leading national organization representing consumers of long-term care.  We're deeply concerned about the ongoing crisis of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.  At least one in 10 older adults experience abuse, and nearly half of those with dementia are affected.  Isolation, cognitive decline, and dependence on others   increases vulnerability, and too often these individuals are placed under guardianship or institutionalized under the guise of keeping them safe.  Yet elder abuse is underreported and underinvestigated.  Victims are often embarrassed to report, fear retaliation and the loss of independence, or think that nothing can be done.  Those with cognitive impairment often are unable to report or ignored if they try to speak up.   We recommend federal action in four areas.  First, support elder justice.  Elder justice programs such as the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program and Adult Protective Services provide critical supports that protect older adults while promoting their well-being and access to justice.  Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act along with greater investment by Congress is necessary to ensure the availability of these services to an increasingly older population.   Mandated to advocate for long-term care facility residents, the ombudsman program works to improve quality, protect residents' rights, and address problems before they escalate into bigger issues.

Sign up for free to see the full transcript

Accounts help us prevent bots from abusing our site. Accounts are free and will allow you to access the full transcript.

Sign up