Hatch measure seeks funding to fight elder abuse

WASHINGTON — Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch says that crimes against the elderly should attract as much attention as those against children and women.

So he and Sen. John Breaux, D-La., the ranking Democrat on the Senate Special Committee on Aging, reintroduced on Monday a bill, estimated to cost $650 million initially, to direct far more resources to help protect seniors against exploitation.

Hatch, R-Utah, said an example was of that an elderly man he visited who was easily confused, and telemarketers took advantage of that to sell him things he did not want.

"He had a basement full of items he didn't need and didn't want," Hatch said. "They took advantage of him time and time again."

Breaux said that their bill would use the same approaches used previously to devote more resources to crimes against women and children.

"Unlike those crimes, not one single employee in the federal government is devoted full-time to address elder abuse and neglect. Without more attention and more resources, far too many of these cases of abuse, neglect and exploitation will go unaddressed," Breaux said.

Hatch and Breaux said that up to 5 million cases of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation occur each year, and 84 percent are never reported.

The bill would establish dual offices of elder justice at the departments of Justice and Health and Human Services to coordinate federal, state and local efforts. It would create programs to help victims, and create grants for education and training of law enforcement officials and prosecutors.

It would require reporting of crimes at long-term care centers and would require FBI criminal background checks for those who work at such centers. It also includes incentives to attract and train more people into health professions that serve elders.

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