Senate Democrats Push For “Safeguarding Our Seniors” Package

We should always be conscious of the value senior citizens add to society through their work, active community involvement and the vital role they play in raising their families. Seniors are entitled to feel safe both physically and financially as well as be treated with the utmost respect and care. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

There is an estimated 73,000 victims of elder abuse in Michigan. These incidents include anything from physical abuse to financial exploitation. To help address and find a way to prevent these issues, Governor Granholm created the Michigan Task Force on Elder Abuse in 2005. More recently, Senate Democrats have taken action to increase the protection of senior citizens from predators.

My colleagues and I recently introduced “Safeguarding our Seniors,” a ten-bill package formed from the recommendations made by the Governor’s task force. The bills seek to prevent exploitation of the elderly by requiring the forfeiture of an inheritance by individuals who abuse senior citizens, establishing stronger sentencing guidelines and penalties for perpetrators, and providing necessary tools for prosecutors to put offenders away. The legislation would also make it easier for senior citizens to testify in these types of cases by allowing testimony to be presented by videotape or closed circuit television.

The bills also go a step further by increasing the penalties, in some cases doubling them, for financial exploitation of vulnerable adults based on the dollar amount involved.

As the primary sponsor of SB 1295, my major goal is to impose tougher penalties for crimes committed against the elderly. This includes crimes committed within licensed and unlicensed adult care facilities, such as interfering with an investigation. Critical evidence can be lost in elder abuse cases due to obstructing investigation, making prosecution less likely. I hope to discourage elder abuse and fraud by increasing the severity of these penalties and sending those predators to prison for a very long time.

Abuse and exploitation of any kind simply cannot be tolerated. Legislators and communities are obligated to work together to protect the elderly and keep their best interests in mind. Through this legislation, I look forward to making Michigan a safer, more secure place for senior citizens and their families.