The History of Elder Abuse Prevention in the United States

Ironically, the laws that protect elders from elder abuse are younger than most of the people they protect today.

The passage of the 1973 Older Americans Act laid the groundwork for most of the federal programs that protect the rights of older adults.

The passage of the Medicare Act of 1964 had provided basic health care for persons aged 65 and older. The Older Americans Act went much further. It established Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) and Adult Protective Services (APS). Title 7, an amendment to the Older Americans Act, paid specific attention to identifying, preventing and stopping cases of elder abuse, fraud, neglect and exploitation.

In 1974, an article on "Granny Battering" first appeared in the medical literature. Five years later, the first lecture and medical presentation on elder abuse -- "The King Lear Syndrome" -- was presented before the American Geriatric Society.

The State of California pass legislation in 1982 that made it mandatory to report elder abuse. The National Elder Abuse Incidence Study (NEAIS) claimed in 1988 that for every case of elder abuse that was reported, five cases went unreported.

In 1999, California revised and expanded its laws on elder abuse.

Today, as the Baby Boomers begin to hit their "Golden Years," the number of elders is expanding rapidly. The "oldest-old" -- people who are 80 or older -- is the largest growing segment of this population. These are also the people most vulnerable to elder abuse.

Elder abuse is everyone's problem.