July 12, 2009
A coalition of Wayne County legislators has unveiled legislation to combat elder abuse in Michigan by strengthening consumer protections for seniors and increasing penalties for those who financially exploit them. The legislation is part of the lawmakers' ongoing effort to strengthen Michigan's faltering consumer protection laws.
“Our seniors deserve the respect they've earned from the many years of hard work they gave to provide for their families,” said State Rep. Dian Slavens, D-Canton, a sponsor of the plan. “It's deplorable that seniors are being abused or swindled simply because the laws on the books aren't strong enough. This plan will empower Michigan's seniors and help put an end to this unbridled cruelty.”
Elder abuse can include abandonment and neglect, financial exploitation and emotional, physical or sexual abuse. According to the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), the crime is vastly underreported. The House plan seeks to address elder abuse by:
- Increasing penalties for cheating or defrauding seniors, including establishing felony charges and banning abusers from inheriting 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 mechanism 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.
“Too many of our seniors are victimized, often by the very people they trust to care for and protect them,” said State Rep. Marc Corriveau (D-Northville), also a sponsor of the plan. “It is heartbreaking when seniors sign over control of their bank accounts, only to have their caretaker steal the money they worked all their lives to save. This plan will shore up disclosure of seniors' rights, which will protect their financial assets so they can remain independent as long as possible.”
SOURCE: HomeTown Life.com
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources
1 comment:
Thank you for creating this blog. This is all too often an important subject not discussed in society.
Post a Comment