Reports of suspected elder abuse increased 63% over the previous five years. There has also been a marked increase in financial exploitation as a form of elder abuse.
Findings from a financial exploitation study of older adults in Pennsylvania, released in September 2020 by our department, concluded that amending OAPSA would help increase awareness of how financial exploitation is committed, encourage financial institutions to voluntarily report suspected financial exploitation and grant financial providers and Area Agencies on Aging the ability to share information and records related to cases of exploitation.
There is a great deal of excellent work happening to address elder abuse, in partnership with the department, local Area Agencies on Aging and stakeholders, but all of our work could be much more impactful with the full strength of an updated protective services law. Yet somehow, despite lawmakers’ vocal concern for the protection of older adults, the General Assembly can’t seem to get there.
Pennsylvania is home to more than 3 million adults over 60 years old and this figure is projected to increase to 4 million in 8 years, nearly 30% of our state’s population. Older Pennsylvanians deserve the protection of a law that addresses issues affecting them today and that strengthens the department’s ability to effectively provide those protections.
As the department responsible for advocacy and protection of our state’s older adults, the Department of Aging urges the General Assembly to commit to amending OAPSA as one of its top priorities in the remaining months of the 2021-22 legislative session. We need action to be taken by the House Aging and Older Adult Services Committee on Representative Tim Hennessey’s House Bill 1681 and similar legislation needs to be championed in the Senate so that these updates can finally be accomplished.
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