Elder abuse is becoming a focus of the nation’s state attorneys general for the next year.
Abuse numbers are staggering for the problem, which is often in the shadows, warned Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, the new president of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), on Thursday.
He pointed to estimates that one out of every 10 people 65 and over and living at home will become an abuse victim.
“As the population age 65 and older continues to grow, it is clear that we all need to do more to combat this serious problem,” Schmidt said in a press release. “My hope is that when this year is ended, we have identified some of the best ideas from around the country and made them readily available to adapt for other states.”
His push for the state law enforcement chiefs will cumulate in a two-day NAAG conference on the issue next April.
Schmidt, a Republican, has put together a bipartisan elder abuse working group for the association that includes attorney generals Mark Brnovich (R-Ariz.), Chris Carr (R-Ga.), Peter Kilmartin (D-R.I.) and Ellen Rosenblum (D-Ore.).