Help protect vulnerable adults in WA state - sign the petition!

One out of 20 older Americans are financially mistreated or victimized to some extent by a caregiver, friend, family member, lawyer or financial adviser, according to a study by the Justice Department.  While financial exploitation can happen to anyone, older adults and people with disabilities are disproportionately targeted for this crime.

Washington State Adult Protective Services data shows a 92% increase in the number of financial exploitation investigations from 2010 to 2015. With more than 10,000 people turning 65 every day for the next decade, the numbers of will continue to rise.

Washington State is one of 13 states without a criminal statute for the financial exploitation of vulnerable adults. Prosecutors must bring these cases using standard theft statutes, making it more challenging to criminally prosecute financial exploitation crimes against elders, whether through scams, misuse of a power of attorney, or outright stealing.

To help protect vulnerable Washingtonians, AARP is supporting House Bill 1153 and Senate Bill 5099.
The measure will better protect the elderly and people with disabilities by increasing penalties for theft from vulnerable adults, and by making it easier to bring charges and secure convictions of those who exploit and neglect vulnerable adults. Specifically, the legislation would:

• Increase the statute of limitations for financial exploitation of vulnerable adults to six years;
• increase the penalties for those who are convicted of theft from a vulnerable adult;
• Change the intent element for felony-level criminal mistreatment (neglect) of vulnerable adults and children from “recklessness” to “criminal negligence.”

Please join us in supporting HB 1153 by signing our online petition.  Sign the petition TODAY saying you support protecting vulnerable adults in Washington State with this commonsense legislation. AARP will deliver your message to your legislators in Olympia.

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Why is this an issue? Can’t law enforcement and the courts handle this?

• This type of exploitation, whether by family, trusted others, or strangers who befriend older adults for the purpose of taking advantage of them, is often misperceived as a private matter, and never reported to the authorities.
• Those who are victimized are often reluctant to report the crime when the exploiter is someone they trusted due to fear, shame or embarrassment.
• Often the financial exploitation goes on for a long period of time before it ever comes to light. When the older person has dementia or is socially isolated, this is even more likely to be true.
• In some cases, the crime is reported so late that it is too late to prosecute under standard theft statutes.
• Victims of financial exploitation who lose their retirement savings “nest egg” become more dependent on government funded social service programs including Medicaid.
• Financial exploitation is often intertwined with physical or sexual abuse, and neglect.

Please join us in supporting HB 1153 and Senate Bill 5099 by signing our online petition today.  Hundreds of Washingtonians have already signed the petition, and we need your support.  Thank you.