Senator Kohl Works to Stop Mistreatment of Elders and Elder Abuse

Washington - Alarmed by growing abuse of the elderly and worried that abuse will become more prevalent as baby boomers age, Democratic Sen. Herb Kohl has renewed his call for a nationwide system of background checks to identify applicants with criminal histories before they are hired by long-term care facilities.

"I want to stop the scourge of elder abuse and put in place a system that can be used across the country to prevent" mistreatment, Kohl said at a packed listening session Wednesday.

Kohl and New Mexico Republican Sen. Pete Domenici introduced the Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act last month and are seeking more supporters.

The Elder Justice Act, the first comprehensive federal legislation designed to reduce elder abuse, neglect and exploitation, is also under consideration now in the Senate.

Legislative attempts to address abuse of the elderly as a pervasive national problem have been ongoing for years, said Robert Blancato of the Elder Justice Coalition in Washington and one of the witnesses. "We are in the fourth successive Congress where the comprehensive bipartisan Elder Justice Act awaits action. This seems incomprehensible to many of us," he said.

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Please write your senators today and let them know you support Senator Kohls' efforts to make America a safer place for seniors. They need to hear from you.