Helping to bring attention to the need to protect New York’s seniors against abuse, fraud and financial exploitation, Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D-Hudson) attended the Coalition on Elder Abuse forum in Dutchess County on Friday. Barrett, who sits on the Assembly’s Committee on Aging, announced that the Assembly has passed several pieces of legislation she supported designed to protect seniors and end these fraudulent practices. The Assembly passed a legislative resolution to proclaim Saturday, June 15, 2013 as Elder Abuse Awareness Day in the State of New York (K.596).

"Elder abuse, particularly financial abuse of seniors, is on the rise," said Assemblymember Barrett. "But the vast majority of incidents, more than 80 percent, are not reported. The sad truth is that in too many of these cases the abuser is a family member, friend, caregiver or other trusted individual. We must continue to educate people about these issues."

The Mediation Center of Dutchess County and the Coalition on Elder Abuse in Dutchess County held a forum around World Elder Abuse Awareness Day hosted by the Cornell Cooperative Extension at their Farm and Home Center in Millbrook. Issues discussed at the forum revolved around abuse that are experienced by our senior citizens everyday. Members of the Coalition present at the forum include Wingate Healthcare, St. Francis Home Care Services, Inc., Lutheran Care Center Adult Day Health Care, Jewish Family Services of Dutchess County, Hudson Valley Home Matters, Institute for Family Health, Grace Smith House, Dutchess County Office of the Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association of the Hudson Valley. Among the topics discussed by the speakers from the various agencies and organizations was the legislative package that passed the Assembly designed to curb and increase awareness around elder abuse.

Specifically, the legislative measures passed in the Assembly include:

• requiring the Department of Financial Services to develop guidelines for reporting suspected financial exploitation of the elderly in consultation with the state Office for the Aging, state attorney general, representatives of the financial services industry, law enforcement, senior groups and district attorneys (A.1783-B);
• requiring advertisements for professionals that include a title or designation indicating knowledge or training in senior issues to also disclose the source of that title or designation (A.1787-A);
• educating senior residents at Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) and Neighborhood NORCs on how to recognize the signs of elder abuse and exploitation (A.7231); and
• requiring the Department of Financial Services to develop a program that seniors would be able to opt into to receive additional protection in the event of suspected financial exploitation (A.7345-B).

"Elder abuse of any kind is simply unacceptable," said Barrett. "I will continue to work to educate and empower our seniors, and those who love them, to put an end to these shameful crimes."