Protect People with Dementia from Elder Abuse!

Alzheimer’s is a progressive brain disease that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. As the disease advances through the brain, an individual may experience difficulty with remembering newly learned information, confusion with time or place, decreased or poor judgement, and changes in mood or personality. My father was diagnosed with the disease when I was in my early 20s and I spent eight years as his primary caregiver until his death in 2012, and I also lost my stepfather to the disease in 2019. I worked in long term care for years and have been an outspoken advocate for Alzheimer's awareness and recognizing the unique needs of individuals living with dementia.

The loss of cognition associated with Alzheimer’s not only deems individuals unable to advocate for themselves, it also heightens their risk for experiencing elder abuse. Given the growing number of people living with dementia, social services and criminal justice professionals will increasingly encounter this vulnerable group, and working with them can be fundamentally different than working with other victims of abuse or exploitation. Yet these professionals receive little or no training, and I implore Congress to change this.

By co-sponsoring the bipartisan Promoting Alzheimer’s Awareness to Prevent Elder Abuse Act (S. 3703/H.R. 6813), our Representative Jan Schakowsky can improve elder abuse training to specifically include dementia. If passed, the Department of Justice would ensure these professionals are educated and equipped to properly communicate with and protect victims of elder abuse living with Alzheimer’s and all other dementia.

Please join me in asking Congresswoman Schakowsky to co-sponsor this vital legislation as we work together to protect the more than 5 million American’s living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

Carrie Jackson

Evanston, IL 60202