The
state has the largest share of residents who are 65 and older in the country.
Fighting
Elder Abuse in Maine
Maine Gov. Janet Mills
signed an executive order Wednesday to combat elder abuse in the state by
establishing a partnership among government agencies to focus on the issue.
The Elder Justice Coordinating Partnership,
which will include officials from the Department of Health and Human Services,
the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Professional and Financial
Regulation as well as aging and advocacy organizations, will develop strategies
to respond to elder abuse in both the public and private sectors, according to
a press release.
The group will provide the Democratic governor
with recommendations regarding education, public policy, data collection and
evaluation and any legislative changes no later than Dec. 8, 2021.
"The abuse of vulnerable people,
especially our older citizens, is an insidious crime and has no place in
Maine," Mills said in the press release. "Maine is an aging state,
and it is crucial that we harness the collective power of state government and
private organizations to develop a roadmap to protect them from abuse, neglect
and all forms of exploitation."
According to Mills' office, the U.S.
Department of Justice estimates that 1 in 9 people over age 60 will be abused
or exploited every year, including an estimated 33,000 victims in Maine. The
press release also points to a study showing that people take between $10.5
million and $64 million in savings and assets from older Maine residents every
year through financial exploitation.
In Maine, 1 in 5 residents are age 65 and
older, giving the state the largest percentage of older residents in the
nation. And the state is working hard to take care of its aging population,
according to U.S. News' 2019 Aging in
America ranking. Maine ranked No. 1 in the ranking, which evaluates
how well states are serving their senior population by keeping them healthy,
financially secure and involved in their communities.
The Pine Tree State earned the top spot
because it has the second-highest nursing home quality in the U.S., the
third-best Medicare quality and the third-best primary care.
"We all want Maine to be a safe place to
grow old," Jaye Martin, executive director of Legal Services for the
Elderly, said in the press release. "This Executive Order moves us toward
that goal."
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