Presidential Document2023-13170
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, 2023
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
June 20, 2023
Signed
June 14, 2023
Issuing agencies
Executive Office of the President
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 117 (Tuesday, June 20, 2023)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 117 (Tuesday, June 20, 2023)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 39765-39766]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-13170]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 88 , No. 117 / Tuesday, June 20, 2023 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 39765]]
Proclamation 10596 of June 14, 2023
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, 2023
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Around the world, a silent epidemic of elder abuse is
denying seniors the ability to age with dignity,
security, and grace. No nation is immune. In America, 1
in 10 people over the age of 60 has experienced some
form of elder abuse, with cases still widely
underreported. On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, we
highlight the signs of this crisis, lift up the voices
of survivors, and strive to improve resources for those
on a path to healing.
Fighting elder abuse begins with bringing it out of the
shadows and raising awareness about its many forms.
While some victims show injuries from physical or
sexual violence, others experience psychological abuse,
neglect, and financial exploitation, which may be more
difficult to detect. These offenses can happen
anywhere--at home with family or friends, at work among
colleagues, online, and in other public and private
places. Wherever it occurs, it is antithetical to the
basic American belief that every human being,
regardless of age, deserves to be treated with dignity
and respect.
To date, my Administration has invested over $430
million to strengthen Adult Protective Services across
our country, improving their ability to investigate
reports of elder abuse; support survivors with
emergency needs like food, shelter, or law enforcement
protection; and help provide medical and mental health
treatment, legal and financial assistance, and more. My
2024 Budget calls for an additional $43 million beyond
our current spending level to support these vital
programs.
Last year, I reauthorized and strengthened the Violence
Against Women Act, which includes dedicated funding for
service providers, law enforcement, and prosecutors
responding to domestic and sexual violence experienced
by older adults. And because America's seniors saw over
$3 billion siphoned from their pockets by fraudsters
and scammers last year, the Federal Trade Commission,
the Federal Communications Commission, the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau, and other regulatory
agencies have been laser-focused on identifying,
preventing, and, where appropriate, taking enforcement
action against loan scams, mortgage scams, romance
scams, price gouging, and identity theft. Every
American--especially seniors who have worked their
whole lives for what they have--deserves the peace of
knowing that they are protected from exploitation and
that help is close at hand should emergencies arise.
But the security of elderly people involves more than
protecting them against malicious schemes. My
Administration is also working to improve the quality
of care that older Americans receive at home and in
other residential settings. Long-term care costs for
the elderly and people with disabilities are up 40
percent over the last decade, and too many care workers
are underpaid and undervalued. In fact, too many are
leaving the profession altogether. That is why, in
addition to implementing a National Strategy to Support
Family Caregivers, I signed an Executive Order on
Increasing Access to High-Quality Care and Supporting
Caregivers. It will make long-term care more accessible
and affordable for families; support family caregivers
shouldering immense responsibility; and improve job
quality for home care workers and staff at nursing
homes, which in turn bolsters the workforce. I
[[Page 39766]]
continue calling on the Congress to pass laws that
improve the safety and quality of care in nursing
homes. My new Budget would also invest $150 billion
over the next decade to improve and expand Medicaid
home- and community-based services--making it easier
for seniors and people with disabilities to receive
quality care in their own homes.
The same principles guiding my Administration's work to
protect and support the elderly at home also motivate
our partnerships abroad. United States local law
enforcement agencies, through Department of State
programs, are training foreign counterparts to help
them investigate crimes against the elderly and provide
assistance to victims. Through the first-ever Strategy
on Global Women's Economic Security, we are also
working to improve conditions and opportunities for
caregivers around the world, many of whom are older
women or support aging adults. Our Strategy to Prevent
and Respond to Gender-based Violence Globally is
meanwhile focused on fighting elder abuse as a form of
gender-based violence, recognizing that gender-based
violence affects people of all ages, including older
adults.
Today, let us pledge to protect seniors who deserve to
be treated with dignity and respect not only because of
a lifetime of contribution but because of their
overriding humanity. It is fundamental that we shape a
world that values seniors' wisdom, celebrates their
achievements, and treats their lives and rights as
sacred, and it is within our reach to make it a
reality.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of
the United States of America, by virtue of the
authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws
of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 15, 2023,
as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. I encourage all
Americans to be diligent, work together to strengthen
existing partnerships, and develop new opportunities to
improve our Nation's prevention and response to elder
abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
fourteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
seventh.
<GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2023-13170
Filed 6-16-23; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F3-P
</pre></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on June 20, 2023.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.