Granny Snatching: Blumenthal Focuses On Elderly Abuse Issues

Connecticut’s elderly residents got some heavyweight assistance in their quest for uniform elder abuse laws this week when Sen. Richard Blumenthal chaired hearings in Washington seeking to chart a course for the federal government to partner with the states and municipalities to deter exploitation of the elderly.

While a statement on Blumenthal’s website focuses on abuse among the non-institutionalized elder population, testimony during the hearing also advocated continuation of programs that help the elderly live in their homes or with family.

Blumenthal’s statement said that more than “14 percent of non-institutionalized adults experienced physical, psychological or sexual abuse, neglect or financial exploitation – and seniors are losing a minimum of $2.9 billion per year to financial abuse, an increase of 12% from 2008.”

“Our seniors have worked hard their entire lives, have given so much to our nation, and deserve our support. The fraud and abuse perpetrated on our seniors is absolutely unconscionable, and I am determined to combine my past experience as Attorney General with my new role in the Senate to end these outrageous acts and help bring security and peace of mind to our seniors.

We need to give elder abuse the attention that it deserves, and I intend to attack it from every angle: building the infrastructure our states need to catch these perpetrators, and strengthening our federal justice system to allow for the maximum consequences for those who choose to undertake such acts.”

Additionally, Blumenthal heard testimony from Kathy Greenlee, Assistant Secretary for Aging at the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Greenlee testified on the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act.

Congress passed the Older Americans Act in 1965 leading to the establishment of a nationwide network of community services directed to the elderly. The act enabled states to administer grants for community planning and social services, research and development projects, and personnel training.

Congress also authorized creation of the Administration on Aging to administer the grant programs. Since its inception the Older Americans Act has been amended several times and is considered the primary source of social and nutritional programs for the elderly and their caregivers nationwide.

The OAA also includes community service employment for low-income older Americans; training, research, and demonstration activities in the field of aging; and vulnerable elder rights protection activities. Information on the Older Americans Act can be found at the website www.aoa.gov.

During her testimony, Greenlee stated that older survivors of even modest forms of abuse have up to 300 percent higher morbidity and mortality rates than non-abused older people.

“The Older Americans Act has historically enjoyed widespread, bipartisan support. One of its great strengths is that it does not matter if an individual lives in a very rural or frontier area, or in an urban center – the programs and community-based supports it provides are flexible enough to meet the needs of individuals in diverse communities and settings…we believe that the reauthorization can strengthen the OAA and put it on a solid footing to meet the challenges of a growing population of seniors, while continuing to carry out its critical mission of helping elderly individuals maintain their health and independence in their homes and communities,” she said.

As America’s population ages the cost to care for the elderly is skyrocketing and federal programs such as Medicare and Medicaid are expected to run out of money in the near future. A switch from institutionalized care which can cost upwards of $12,000 per month per person, to home based care is considered the best option for providing the best and most cost-effective care for the elderly.

Blumenthal also heard testimony at the hearing from 90-year-old Connecticut resident Robert Matava, a victim of elder abuse after entrusting his son with his assets.

While Connecticut has a standing legislative Committee on Aging and a state Commission on Aging, not all states do and states often have differing laws on elder abuse and guardianship. The disparity of laws across state lines has led to increasing incidents of “Granny Snatching” whereby elderly people are institutionalized against their will often by unscrupulous relatives who concoct elaborate schemes to strip them of their assets.

Elder advocates have been struggling for years to convince both the federal and state governments to support one system of laws that will make it much more difficult to take strip the elderly of their rights, their dignity and their assets.