Approximately one in 10 seniors age 60 and older has experienced some form of elder abuse, but the prevalence among seniors with Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related illnesses is as high as 50 percent, according to the U.S. Senate Committee on Aging. The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America applauds Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, for authoring a new law to better protect senior citizens living with dementia from elder abuse.
The Promoting Alzheimer’s Awareness to Prevent Elder Abuse Act, passed with unanimous bipartisan support in Congress and recently signed into law by the president, will enhance training about Alzheimer’s and other dementias for law enforcement, health providers and other front-line professionals who assess and respond to elder abuse. This additional training through the Department of Justice will help them better serve individuals affected by these illnesses and protect them from harm.
The No. 1 concern for every family who is impacted by Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related illnesses is the safety of their loved one. The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America thanks Sen. Collins for her leadership and all of Maine’s federal representatives who supported this new law.
Charles J. Fuschillo Jr.
president and chief executive, Alzheimer’s Foundation of America
New York
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.