August 3rd, 2006	Contact: Kimberly Collins Phone: 202-224-5364
CHAIRMAN SMITH APPLAUDS COMMITTEE PASSAGE OF BILL AIMED AT PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF ELDER ABUSE
In an effort to address the problem of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation, Chairman Gordon H. Smith (R-OR) voted in favor today of S. 2010, the Elder Justice Act. Chairman Smith is an original cosponsor of the measure which overwhelmingly passed in the Senate Finance Committee this evening. “As the Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, I have worked to ensure that perpetrators of fraud and abuse against the elderly are exposed and stopped,” said Chairman Smith. “Crimes against the elderly are shockingly more common than one might assume. Any act of violence or exploitation of the elderly is simply intolerable. The legislation that has passed today will take very important steps to combat elder abuse by improving prevention and intervention, ultimately providing a safer environment for older Americans in their homes, facilities, and neighborhoods.” Highlights of the bill include: • New discretionary spending authorizations to adequately fund state and local elder justice programs; • A new, standalone social services grant program to fund adult protective services activities at the state level; • A new incentives program to help educate and retain long term care personnel; • A study to explore the feasibility of implementing a national nurse aide registry system; and • Provisions to improve the user friendliness of the Department of Health and Human Service’s “nursing home” comparative website. This online tool allows consumers to learn about the quality and violation records of registered nursing homes.
###