PORTLAND – Gov. Ted Kulongoski on Tuesday released a report from his Elder Abuse Task Force, containing recommended actions to strengthen protection for Oregon’s older citizens. The governor established the Elder Abuse Task Force in February as part of his comprehensive review of the public safety system in Oregon.
“One of my six Oregon Principles is that Oregonians should be safe in their homes, communities and in state institutions – and a key piece of that principle is protecting our most vulnerable senior citizens from neglect and abuse.” said Kulongoski. “That is why I set up the Elder Abuse Task Force earlier this year and invited experts from around the state to study this problem. I asked them to identify the kinds of elder abuse and neglect that Oregon seniors may be facing and to report back to me with concrete recommendations for how we can strengthen protection of these vulnerable citizens. I am pleased by the task force’s work on this critical issue.”
The task force, chaired by the governor’s Senior Advisor Stephen Schneider, examined many kinds of elder abuse, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, financial exploitation, neglect and abandonment.
The governor highlighted four recommendations from the report that he plans to pursue through administrative action in partnership with state and local agencies and the private sector. These include:
1. The development – by the Department of Human Services (DHS) – of a quick response process to expedite criminal background checks to reduce the current backlog of those waiting resolution of their background status. Additionally, the task force recommended that DHS strengthen guidelines to those caregivers who are hired before criminal background checks are completed so that they have closer supervision until their check is cleared.
2. The creation of a criminal history registry by the state to immediately alert care-providers if an applicant has already been identified as someone who has a criminal record. This system would eliminate the need for duplicate criminal background checks and set up barriers for those that seek employment in other related care-providing fields.
3. Renewed training for front-line banking staff on the indicators and prevention measures regarding financial exploitation of the elderly. The training will be developed in partnership with the Oregon Bankers Association, and their president Tom Perrick.
“Financial exploitation remains the number one form of reported elder abuse and each year in Oregon, criminals drain hundreds of thousands of dollars from the bank accounts of older Oregonians,” said the governor. “The financial institutions in this state can be the true vanguard as we protect vulnerable Oregonians from this sort of crime.”
4. The development of a best practices curriculum and training video to teach proper care-giving techniques and to alert caregivers of the signs of elder abuse that might be perpetrated by others. The video will be developed in conjunction with the long-term care industry and the Home Health Care Commission.
“We need to make sure caregivers know the signs of abuse and how to report it,” said the governor. “Proper reporting to law enforcement could literally be the difference between life and death.”
The governor also announced that he will work with his staff, the legislature and community activists on the task force’s recommendation of an “Oregon Elder Justice Act of ” that would change statutory language to better protect older Oregonians.
“Whether it is kids who are just starting out in life or our elderly community who have enriched this state so much, we must strive to protect Oregon’s most vulnerable citizens,” said the governor.
Elder abuse is a multidimensional problem that impacts a large number of Oregonians each year – much of it undetected. Experts anticipate that between 1 in 5 to 1 in 14 cases of abuse or neglect go unreported each year.
Source: Oregon Department of Health
