AARP joins Iowa law enforcement and aging advocates to urge passage of Elder Abuse Bill - KCRG

DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) - AARP Iowa, Iowa law enforcement, and aging advocates joined one another at the Iowa Capitol today to urge the Iowa House to pass the Elder Abuse Bill (HF 522) and make elder abuse a crime for the first time in Iowa.

“AARP Iowa’s top priority is to make elder abuse a crime and fix the gap in Iowa law enforcement and financial institutions’ tools to stop and prevent it,” said AARP Iowa Advocacy Manager Anthony Carroll.

Elder abuse can take many forms, ranging from physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, to financial exploitation and neglect.

“A big part of my job is to prevent, track, and stop scams, fraud, and exploitation of all citizens in Dubuque County,” said Amanda Potter, an investigator with the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office. “We in law enforcement regularly come across situations where an older Iowan is being exploited or abused. HF 522 would give us another tool to stop abuse and send a clearer message to deter would-be abusers of older Iowans. All elder abuse should be a crime in Iowa.”

An AARP survey of Iowans aged 50 and over found that 95 percent support a state law that would define elder abuse as a crime, punishable by law. This was the highest support of any issue/policy that AARP Iowa surveyed.

The bill was passed unanimously by the Iowa Senate in 2021.

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source: https://www.kcrg.com/2022/02/02/aarp-joins-iowa-law-enforcement-aging-advocates-urge-passage-elder-abuse-bill/

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