Chairman Rick Scott convened the Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing to examine elder abuse, and witnesses urged Congress to finish reauthorizing the Older Americans Act and to preserve the Administration for Community Living.
Marcela Morado, president and CEO of the Southwest Florida Area Agency on Aging, told the committee the OAA is a “critical tool” for preventing abuse, connecting vulnerable seniors to services and building the trusted relationships that lead to reporting and intervention. “For 60 years, the Older Americans Act, known as the OAA, has helped countless seniors through social connection and life-affirming support programs,” Morado said.
The hearing’s witnesses described programs funded by the OAA—home-delivered meals, caregiver supports, legal assistance and the long-term care ombudsman—as frontline protections that reduce isolation and create “sets of eyes” that detect abuse. “Interactions like those had with an in-home meal delivery services provider are sometimes the only contact a senior may have with someone who can recognize signs of abuse or neglect,” Morado said.
Lori Smetanka, executive director of the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, told senators that ombudsman and elder-justice programs require more stable federal investment. “Federal funding for the program is necessary to ensure that all residents have access to an advocate,” Smetanka said, noting increased complaints and persistent deficiencies in nursing facilities.
Panelists warned of the practical consequences of reducing or dismantling ACL. Morado said ACL’s consolidation of aging and disability programs “became the hub” that coordinated services and preserved institutional knowledge; dismantling it would risk losing expertise and program continuity. “We’re really concerned that if the ACL is dismantled, that it will get lost in the shuffle,” she said.
Why it matters: Witnesses and several senators tied prevention and early detection of elder abuse to the continuity of OAA-funded services and ACL’s coordination role. Speakers repeatedly urged Congress to complete reauthorization this fall and to increase funding so area agencies on aging and ombudsman programs can expand prevention, outreach and response.
Discussion vs. decisions: The hearing produced recommendations and policy requests but no formal committee actions. Witnesses recommended reauthorization of the OAA, increased federal funding for elder-abuse prevention and preserving ACL as a standalone coordinating agency. Senators expressed support for these steps and asked witnesses for examples and program details.
Closing note: Witnesses asked lawmakers to treat the reauthorization as urgent and to preserve the federal infrastructure that supports the aging network. “We need your partnership, your commitment to ensuring that every older adult can age with dignity and safety,” Morado said.