Law & Legislation

The Older Americans Act (OAA) supports social services and programs to prevent the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older persons, aged 60 and older. These include supportive services, family caregiver support, the long-term care ombudsman program, congregate and home-delivered nutrition services, and services to prevent the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older persons. The OAA has been reauthorized and amended numerous times since its enactment in 1965.

For more information, visit Older Americans Act

This 2017 law increased data collection and information sharing in abuse and fraud cases, expanded training of federal prosecutors and investigators, established an elder justice coordinator position in both the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice, and increased penalties for criminals targeting older adults.

For more information, visit Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act – Department of Justice

In 2010, the Elder Justice Act was enacted as part of the Affordable Care Act. Viewed as landmark legislation—according to the Congressional Research Service, it was “Congress’s first attempt at comprehensive legislation to address abuse, neglect and exploitation of the elderly at the federal level.” A major objective is coordinating responses to older adult abuse across federal and state agencies and the Elder Justice Coordinating Council formed from this law still meets today. 

For more information, visit The Elder Justice Act

This 1987 law created “conditions of participation” – national standards of care and rights for people living in certified nursing facilities that facilities must meet in order to receive funding from Medicare and Medicaid. Since then, many regulations have been created to implement this law.
 

For more information, visit OBRA ‘87 Summary – Consumer Voice, Nursing Homes – CMS.gov