Xavier Becerra, Secretary and Deputy Secretary & Andrea Palm, Deputy Secretary | https://www.hhs.gov/about/leadership/xavier-becerra.html https://www.hhs.gov/about/leadership/andrea-palm.html
At a meeting of the Elder Justice Coordinating Council on Wednesday, June 12, 17 federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Justice Department, reviewed a decade of expanded efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. These efforts span enforcement, public education, training, interagency collaboration, research, and support for older adults.
“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to supporting the health, well-being, and independence of older adults and to advancing equity for all Americans. Elder justice is a crucial element of both,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “Today, we celebrate the progress we have made advancing elder justice. But we will not rest until every older person lives with dignity and without fear of abuse or neglect.”
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland highlighted the issue's gravity: “We know that the vast majority of elder abuse cases go unreported. And that too many victims remain unseen.” He noted that over the past five years, the Department has pursued more than 1,500 criminal and civil cases involving conduct targeting or disproportionately affecting older adults. Additionally, services were provided to more than 1.5 million older victims.
Alison Barkoff from the Administration for Community Living remarked on the coordinated federal response: “We know that it will take an all-of-government approach to make our shared vision of elder justice and community inclusion a reality... We have a lot of progress to build upon and so many opportunities to do more.”
The EJCC was established by the 2010 Elder Justice Act to coordinate federal activities related to elder abuse across government agencies. The meeting reflected on accomplishments since adopting Eight Recommendations for Increased Federal Involvement in Addressing Elder Abuse as guiding priorities.
Key achievements include:
- HHS’ Administration for Community Living awarded grants supporting state adult protective services (APS) programs.
- The Justice Department expanded efforts against transnational elder fraud schemes.
- Annual Money Mule Initiatives targeting networks involved in fraud.
- Development of NAMRS by HHS’ Administration for Community Living for standardized data collection on elder maltreatment.
- Social Security Administration’s Slam the Scam Day raising awareness about government imposter scams.
- FTC’s establishment of Senior Scams Prevention Advisory Group focusing on scam prevention.
Speakers at today’s meeting included pioneers such as Marie-Therese Connolly from RISE Collaborative; Kathy Greenlee from ADvancing States; Sidney Stahl formerly with National Institute on Aging; and Edwin Walker formerly with HHS’ Administration for Community Living.
By statute, EJCC is chaired by HHS Secretary with Attorney General as a permanent member. It has grown from nine to 17 members since its inception.
Research indicates at least one in ten older adults experience some form of maltreatment annually — likely an undercount due to underreporting. Maltreated individuals face higher rates of depression, hospitalization, institutionalization, deteriorated family relationships, diminished autonomy, and premature death.
