On July 13, 2015, major efforts for elder justice and prevention of elder abuse were announced at the White House Conference on Aging including:
- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will update and improve the quality and safety requirements of the nation’s nursing homes to improve resident’s quality of life and safety.
- Elder abuse prosecutors will be trained in all 50 states by the Department of Justice. Dallas County is only one of a couple of counties in Texas that has prosecutors assigned for elder abuse (instituted after the famed “Swiss Avenue” case).
- The Department of Justice will revise the current Victims of Crime Act assistance guidelines by clarifying the funds may be used to support social and legal services to victims of elder abuse, financial exploitation, fraud and neglect. Congress has permitted spending of $2.3 billion in connection with helping those under this program.
- The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will advise financial institutions on how to prevent, recognize and report financial exploitation.
- The National Institute of Health will review the science on understanding and preventing abuse and to examine tools to identify abuse victims.