Alabama enacts Elder Abuse Prevention Act

Although estimates vary, it is generally believed that 4-6% of the elderly are subject to abuse. According to the National Incidence Study on Elder Abuse, approximately 450,000 elderly experience abuse each year in nationwide. The scale of the problem is massive and it comes as a relief that Alabama Governor Robert Bentley recently signed into law the Elder Abuse Prevention Act. The bill is designed to prevent and prosecute those that engage in elder abuse. Senator Tammy Irons of Florence, Alabama spent the better part of three years fighting to make the Act a reality. Senator Irons said, "I am grateful that Governor Bentley realized the importance of protecting our senior citizens and signed my bill into law this session. This is the first step in protecting our senior citizens from abuse in all of its disgusting forms--physical, emotional and financial."