LANSING – Wayne County lawmakers today took a stand against elder abuse in Michigan by voting for the first wave of a package of bills that will strengthen consumer protections for seniors and increase penalties for those who financially exploit them. The Elder Abuse Protection Plan is part of the lawmakers' ongoing effort to strengthen Michigan's faltering consumer protection laws. The lawmakers called for the Senate to pass the plan quickly.
"Our seniors devoted their entire lives to taking care of their families, and they deserve our respect," said State Representative Dian Slavens (D-Canton), a member of the House Senior Health, Security and Retirement Committee who championed the plan. "As a health care provider, I'm proud to join my colleagues in passing this aggressive plan that will help protect the safety and health of our seniors. I urge the Senate to act quickly and help put an end to the intolerable acts of cruelty that people have gotten away with for far too long."
The plan that began moving today addresses elder abuse by:
- Increasing penalties for cheating or defrauding seniors, including establishing felony charges and banning abusers from inheriting from the estate of their victim.
- Empowering concerned citizens to file criminal complaints to stop and prevent abuse cases in nursing homes and elsewhere.
- Strengthening consumer protections by requiring financial institutions to do more to disclose the rights of seniors and create new safeguards against fraud.
- Creating the "Mozelle Alert" – an alert to notify the public in cases of missing endangered seniors, similar to the Amber Alert. The alert is named in honor of Estella Mozelle Pierce, a senior who died after wandering from her Southwest Detroit home.
"Elder abuse is a despicable act, and our current laws are insufficient when it comes to protecting our seniors from predators," said State Representative Deb Kennedy (D-Brownstown). "We must safeguard our loved ones from physical abuse or financial exploitation. By passing this plan today, we are saying loud and clear that Michigan's seniors must be treated with dignity and respect."
Reports of elder abuse have increased 40 percent since 1998, according to the Michigan Department of Human Services. Michigan's Adult Protective Services received more than 16,300 reports of adult mistreatment in 2008. Based on estimates of how often abuse goes unreported, this suggests that more than 73,000 of Michigan's adults are abused every year, according to the National Center on Elder Abuse.
"Too many of our seniors are being victimized by criminals who disguise themselves as genuine caregivers," said State Representative Marc Corriveau (D-Northville), a sponsor of the plan. "We must strengthen Michigan's weak consumer protection laws and crack down on all forms of abuse against our seniors, both physical and financial. Our plan will do just that."
To report a suspected case of elder abuse, residents can call the state's 24-hour toll-free hotline at
(800) 996-6228.
"Elder abuse is a major problem here in Michigan, but unfortunately, it's gone largely ignored," said State Representative Gino Polidori (D-Dearborn), a sponsor of the plan. "Our plan will shed light on this hidden social problem that affects thousands of our seniors each year by tackling it head-on. It strengthens penalties and protections to ensure that no one else suffers at the hands of those who are supposed to care for them."
State Representative Bob Constan (D-Dearborn Heights), also a sponsor of the plan, said: "It's simply disgraceful when any senior is abused or exploited - what's worse is that more and more seniors become victims of elder abuse every year. We must act quickly to put a stop to this. Our plan sends a message that elder abuse is a serious crime that has serious consequences. The Senate should join us in protecting our seniors' safety and putting their best interests first."