MICHAEL D.

DOVILLA
18 TH DISTRICT ______

VERNE R IFFE CENTER

77 S OUTH HIGH S TREET, 12 TH F LOOR COLUMBUS, OH 43215-6111
_____

ECONOMIC & SMALL B USINESS DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION, V ICE-CHAIRMAN STATE GOVERNMENT & E LECTIONS W AYS & MEANS P OLICY, CHAIRMAN

T: (614) 466-4895
_____

F: (614) 719-6957

Ohio General Assembly

House of Representatives Columbus

_____

DISTRICT18@OHR .STATE.OH.US

Remarks of State Representative Mike Dovilla Consortium Against Elder Abuse Annual Meeting Corporate College East Friday, June 8, 2012 It is good to be with you today and to have the opportunity to talk about one of my public policy priorities in the Ohio legislature: protecting our senior citizens. As I begin, I wish to thank Kelli Perk for her kind invitation to join you. Kelli, I appreciate you reaching out to me. This is an issue that not only crosses our regional, state and, as we heard this morning from Dr. Beaulieu, international boundaries but that also crosses political party lines. Protecting our older adults is a calling in which each of us should be involved as engaged citizens. Yours is the oldest consortium of its kind in the Nation, dating back to the early 1980s. I wish to thank you for that early leadership in the field of elder abuse awareness, something that continues to this day with this annual meeting and your daily work with and on behalf of our regions seniors. As a 37-year-old who is blessed to have three living grandparents in their late 80s, all of whom still live on their own at home with some assistance from family I am aware of how vulnerable our senior citizens can be. Ohio and America are aging, and of the 117,000 constituents I represent in the General Assembly, a sizable number are older adults. Why, then, is elder abuse at once an important issue and one that too often fails to receive the attention it deserves? The answer to the first question is obvious. It is one important role of communities and government to protect the most vulnerable members of our society. In that regard, Adult Protective Services, as you well know, does its best to investigate and evaluate all reports of our senior citizens who are in danger of harm or are unable to protect themselves. In a recent APS report, over 16,300 reports of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of adults age 60 and over were received. The second question, however the issue of inattention to this public policy matter is more difficult to answer. Because, unfortunately, the abuse and neglect of our seniors goes largely unrecognized. In fact, the last national study requested by the U.S. Congress noted that for every reported incident of elder abuse, neglect, exploitation, or self-neglect, approximately five are unreported. Moreover, the Ohio Family Violence Prevention Project estimates that 90,000 to 115,000 seniors in our state are abused, neglected, or financially exploited. This is why in May 2011 I introduced House Bill 215, legislation that designates June 15th of each year as Elder Abuse Awareness Day in the State of Ohio to increase public awareness of

the innocent victims of elder abuse. The concept for this bill was brought to me by a constituent, Kathi Lowery, Director of the Jenkins Senior Center in Olmsted Falls, and modeled on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, which was initiated by the World Health Organization at the United Nations in 2006. Far from a bill that simply designates yet another day on the calendar for a specific cause, this legislation should be considered a first step toward focusing increased attention on the important role senior citizens play in our society and the efforts in which all of us must engage to protect and honor them. Today, I am pleased to share with you that House Bill 215 was passed by both the House and Senate within nine months of its introduction a relatively brief amount of time in the legislative realm and signed by Governor Kasich. The law took effect a little over two weeks ago on May 22nd, in time for this years commemoration on June 15th. As I indicated, however, this law is simply a first step. Since last year, I have been working with Attorney General Mike DeWine to draft a bill that has been the topic of discussion by the Ohio Elder Abuse Commission under at least the last three attorneys general legislation that would revise the laws governing the provision of adult protective services. One week from today, I will be hosting a major event for senior citizens and advocates in Olmsted Falls to mark the first Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Attorney General DeWine will join me, senior center directors from around northeast Ohio, and other interested stakeholders on this special occasion, and we will formally unveil our APS legislation. I invite you to join us at the Donauschwaben German-American Cultural Center next Friday, and I will be happy to share additional event details with you if you wish to attend. Thank you, again, for this opportunity to be with you today and for all you do to shine a spotlight on this important issue set for our community and state.