ELDER RIGHTS PROGRAMS PROTECT AND 

AFFECT US ALL

More and more Americans are being 

confronted with the challenge of protecting 

themselves or their loved ones from the 

threats of elder abuse, neglect, and 

exploitation. According to the 1998 National 

Elder Abuse Incidence Study, nearly half a 

million seniors suffer from abuse in domestic 

settings each year. This study also found that 

only one out of five cases of abuse is reported 

to the authorities. 

In 1965, the Older Americans Act was 

enacted and decreed that older Americans 

were entitled to certain basic rights and 

benefits. The law provides funding for an 

extensive network of State and Area Agencies 

on Aging and local providers that coordinates 

and delivers services, and protects the rights 

of older persons.

 

The Older Americans Act has been amended

several times, including in 1992 when 

Congress approved amendments that created 

Title VII: Allotments for Vulnerable Elder 

Rights Protection Activities. Title VII brought 

together the various advocacy programs of the 

Act into a system of services, programs, and 

personnel designed to help older persons 

understand their rights, exercise choice 

through informed decision-making, and 

benefit from the support and opportunities 

promised by law.

As the federal advocate for older Americans 

and their concerns, the Administration on 

Aging (AoA) is committed to protecting the 

rights of older people and preventing their 

abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Toward this 

end, AoA works to heighten awareness among 

other federal agencies, organizations, groups, 

and the public about the needs of vulnerable 

older people.

SPECIFIC PROGRAMS TO PROTECT ELDER 

RIGHTS 

AoA supports three programs that specifically 

promote the rights of seniors and protect them 

from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. AoA 

coordinates these programs at the national 

level, and members of the Aging Network 

implement them at the State and local level. 

ELDER ABUSE, NEGLECT, AND 

EXPLOITATION PREVENTION 

The goal of the Elder Abuse, Neglect, and 

Exploitation Prevention Program is to develop 

and strengthen prevention efforts at the State 

and local level. This includes funding for 

State and local public awareness campaigns, 

training programs, and multi-disciplinary 

teams. 

To support and enhance these activities, AoA 

funds the National Center on Elder Abuse. 

The Center disseminates information about 

elder mistreatment to professionals and the 

public, and provides technical assistance and 

training to States and community-based 

organizations. To learn more about the 

Center visit http://www.ncea.aoa.gov.

Elder Rights: Safeguards for the Most Vulnerable Among Us
LONG-TERM CARE OMBUDSMAN 

PROGRAM

Ombudsman staff and volunteers serving in 

the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program

advocate on behalf of older residents living in 

nursing homes, assisted living facilities and 

other residential settings. Every State has an 

Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman 

under which dedicated advocates assist 

residents to voice concerns, secure their 

rights, and correct conditions affecting their 

care.

Working through hundreds of grassroots 

programs, paid and volunteer ombudsmen 

serve residents and their representatives by 

educating them and providers about residents’ 

rights and good care practices, including 

alternatives to chemical and physical 

restraints.

AoA supports the National Long-Term Care 

Ombudsman Resource Center, which 

provides training and technical assistance to 

assist ombudsmen in their demanding work. 

For more information about the Center or to 

locate an ombudsmen in your area, visit 

www.ltcombudsman.org.

STATE LEGAL ASSISTANCE DEVELOPMENT 

PROGRAM

The State Legal Assistance Development

Program is another essential element in 

protecting elder rights under Title VII of the 

Older Americans Act. The Act is one of the 

top funding sources for low-income senior 

legal assistance. Nationwide, approximately 

1,000 legal services providers funded through 

the Act provide more than one million hours 

of assistance to seniors per year on a wide 

range of legal issues. Legal Assistance 

Developers at the state level coordinate these

services and work to increase the availability 

of legal representation and advice to older 

adults throughout the state, especially those in 

the greatest social or economic need.

Predatory lending, investment schemes, 

identity theft, home repair scams, and other 

types of financial exploitation continue to be 

major problems for older Americans. Many 

victimized older adults lose their life savings 

or their homes and then require nursing 

homes. AoA’s legal providers and legal 

helplines protect seniors from these threats to 

home ownership by providing them with 

prevention information and help in seeking 

restitution. 

Today, too many older Americans are 

confronted by the threats of abuse, neglect, 

and exploitation. AoA’s Elder Rights 

Programs protect seniors from known abuses 

to which older adults are often susceptible and 

assure the basic rights and benefits of 

vulnerable older people. For more 

information on these programs, visit 

http://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/AoA_Program

s/Elder_Rights/index.aspx.

WHAT IS ELDER ABUSE?

Elder abuse is an umbrella term used to 

describe one or more of the following: 

Physical Abuse is the infliction of physical 

pain or injury on a senior, e.g. slapping, 

bruising, or restraining by physical or 

chemical means.

Sexual Abuse is non-consensual sexual 

contact of any kind.

Neglect is the failure by those responsible to 

provide food, shelter, health care, or 

protection for a vulnerable elder.
Exploitation is the illegal taking, misuse, or 

concealment of funds, property, or assets of a 

senior for someone else’s benefit.

Emotional Abuse is the infliction of mental 

pain, anguish, or distress on an elder person 

through verbal or nonverbal acts, e.g. 

humiliating, intimidating, or threatening.

Abandonment is the desertion of a 

vulnerable elder by anyone who has assumed 

the responsibility for care or custody of that 

person.

Self-neglect is characterized as the failure of 

a person to perform essential, self-care tasks 

and that such failure threatens his/her own 

health or safety.

If you suspect elder abuse, neglect, or 

exploitation, please call 1-800-677-1116, or 

visit http://www.eldercare.gov for assistance 

in locating the nearest reporting agency. If 

you or someone you know is in immediate 

danger, call 911 or the local police where the 

senior lives to get help right away.

For more information about ACL

U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services, Administration for Community 

Living, Washington DC 20201

Phone: (202) 619 – 0724

Fax: (202) 357 – 3555

Email: ACLinfo@acl.hhs.gov

Web: http://www.aoa.gov