(Credit: Sen. Maria Collett / Facebook)
In an effort to promote transparency and add another tool to assist in the prevention of deaths from abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older Pennsylvanians, Sen. Maria Collett (D-12 Montgomery, Democratic Caucus Chair) plans to introduce legislation that would require the Pennsylvania Department of Aging to assemble a fatality review team within each Area Agency on Aging (AAA).
During the recent budget hearings, it was made clear that the legislature hasn’t funded the Department of Aging at levels to keep up with the growing need as Pennsylvanians have aged. This proposed legislation gives the Department of Aging and our AAAs one more tool in their arsenal to protect aging folks in our communities – some of whom are among our most vulnerable neighbors.
“Every older Pennsylvanian deserves to live with dignity, free from abuse and neglect. But for far too many, that is not the reality,” said Senator Collett, Democratic Chair of the Aging & Youth Committee. “Establishing fatality review teams will aide our counties and Commonwealth in upholding our duty to protect our most vulnerable citizens while creating a more transparent and effective elder protection system.”
When abuse or neglect of an older adult is suspected, county Area Agencies on Aging investigate the claim to determine whether such abuse or neglect is taking place. However, if the older adult dies during an ongoing investigation, the Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA) is currently without explicit authority to track the cause of death. This missing link hampers Pennsylvania’s ability to prevent future tragedies and hold bad actors accountable.
Modeled on similar efforts in Florida and Maine, the fatality review team will identify connections between the cause of death and any deficiencies in investigations of abuse and neglect. Made up of a multi-disciplined group of professionals and experts, the team can also identify and report to PDA methods of improving the elder protection system, which PDA will compile and present to the legislature.
Collett added: “It’s time our chamber acts to protect Pennsylvania’s growing aging population. Agencies supporting our seniors must be empowered with the tools they need to prevent tragic, premature deaths.”
