New Resolution Designates June 2025 as 'Elder Abuse Awareness Month' to Combat $28 Billion Annual Loss

This resolution is a straightforward one: it officially designates June 15, 2025, as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and the entire month of June 2025 as Elder Abuse Awareness Month. While resolutions don't change laws, they serve as a massive spotlight, and this one shines a light on a problem that hits everyone’s wallet and family—the rampant abuse and exploitation of older Americans.

The Staggering Cost of Neglect

If you’ve ever wondered why this matters to you, even if you don't have an older relative nearby, follow the money. The resolution lays out the facts: older adults lose at least $28.3 billion annually to financial exploitation. That’s not a typo. For context, in 2024 alone, older adults reported losing nearly $4.9 billion to internet scams, according to the FBI. This isn't just about Nigerian princes; it’s about sophisticated investment scams and tech support fraud that drain life savings. The resolution highlights that about 90% of the time, the financial abuser is a family member or someone the victim trusts, which is a tough pill to swallow but crucial for understanding the scope of the problem.

Why Awareness Is the First Line of Defense

The most shocking detail here is the underreporting. Only about 1 in 24 cases of general elder abuse gets reported, and for financial exploitation, it’s only 1 in 44 cases. The resolution’s core purpose is to try and move that needle. By designating June 2025 as the official awareness month, the Senate is trying to kickstart a national conversation that makes people—from bank tellers to doctors to you, the neighbor—better at spotting the signs. This focus is critical because the U.S. population is aging fast; by 2034, older adults will outnumber kids for the first time ever.

Recognizing the Front Lines

This resolution isn't just about statistics; it’s a shout-out to the people doing the heavy lifting. It specifically recognizes judges, lawyers, social workers, healthcare providers, and law enforcement officers who work to protect vulnerable seniors. It also applauds the Elder Justice Coordinating Council, which involves 15 federal agencies, and praises the work of Adult Protective Services (APS) staff and State long-term care ombudsman programs. For anyone working in these fields, this resolution is validation that their often-underfunded and difficult work is seen and appreciated at the federal level. For the rest of us, it’s a reminder that these are the agencies we need to know about and support, especially since the resolution notes that resources for protective services are often tight.

What This Means for Everyday People

Since this is a resolution, it doesn't create new regulations or mandate new spending. Its impact is entirely in the push for awareness. The resolution strongly encourages the public and professionals to become “catalysts for awareness” by reaching out to local APS agencies and learning how to spot, report, and respond to abuse. The goal is to make the signs of elder abuse as recognizable as, say, the signs of child abuse. If you have an older family member, friend, or neighbor, this is a nudge to check in, learn the warning signs of financial exploitation (like sudden changes in banking habits or new "friends" demanding money), and know the local resources available for reporting.