In honor of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Attorney General Jason Miyares is recognizing the holiday by reminding Virginians of the many resources and initiatives the Office of the Attorney General offers to both prevent and solve elder abuse and elder neglect cases.
According to the official announcement, Attorney General Miyares’s office has taken several new steps to fight elder abuse in Virginia, including advancing the Senior TRIAD program, releasing consumer protection resources, preventing and prosecuting Medicaid fraud, and supporting legislation that aims at protecting Virginia’s senior citizens.
The Attorney General also worked with the General Assembly to pass two pieces of legislation to increase the penalty for those who financially exploit elderly Virginians by misusing the power of attorney, and giving greater protections to our most vulnerable.
“Senior citizens are among scammers’ most common targets. Criminals looking to scam Virginians out of their hard earned money target elderly citizens with grandparent scams, robo calls, and identity theft, among others, to deceive them into giving away personal identification and financial information. My office is dedicated to protecting Virginians at every stage of life,” said Attorney General Miyares.
Additionally, the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) has jurisdiction to investigate elder abuse and neglect. The MFCU is staffed with investigators, prosecutors and nurse investigators who are highly trained in elder abuse and neglect cases. They also participate in multi-jurisdictional tasks forces, investigating health care providers who abuse or neglect the elderly in health care facilities.
For more resources and information, and to learn more about the services that the OAG offers seniors, Miyares office recommends visiting this webpage: Seniors: Virginia Triad Resources.