September 7th, 2006 - Washington, DC - Alarmed by the rising number of cases of elder mistreatment and exploitation by unscrupulous guardians in America, Chairman Gordon H. Smith (R-OR) convened the Special Committee on Aging to explore long-standing issues surrounding guardianship for the elderly.
“America’s guardianship system is failing to protect our nation’s aging population,” said Chairman Smith. “With burgeoning caseloads, lack of oversight, lack of training and certification, and lack of data and monitoring, the environment is ripe for corrupt individuals to take advantage of the elderly. Federal leadership is desperately needed to ensure that our nation’s elderly grow old with dignity, while also keeping their fundamental freedoms intact,” added Smith.
Committee members heard testimony from Ira Salzman, Esq., attorney for Philip Marshall, Brooke Astor's grandson; Barbara Bovbjerg, Director, Education Workforce and Income Security (EWIS), U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO); Carol Scott, Missouri Long Term Care Ombudsman; The Honorable Mel Grossman, Administrative Judge, Florida 17th Judicial Circuit Court; and Terry Hammond, Executive Director, National Guardianship Association.
Chairman Smith called for the passage of S. 2010, the Elder Justice Act, which works to combat elder abuse by improving prevention and intervention programs. Chairman Smith was an original co-sponsor of this legislation. The hearing also highlighted the need for greater oversight and coordination between the Social Security Administration, Veteran’s Affairs representative payment programs and state courts handling guardianships.
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