There’s a lot you can learn about a place by looking at how they treat their vulnerable populations, such as senior citizens. Here in Virginia, we’ve got some work to do on that issue. We’re glad our attorney general recognized this and decided to do something about it.

This week, Attorney General Jason Miyares’ office announced the launch of an Elder Abuse Investigation Center. The center was founded to “to address and combat the growing issue of elder abuse and neglect,” according to a statement from his office. 

If you are a senior citizen or love someone who is, you may be aware of the rise in reports of mistreatment at nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other places.

“This year marks the beginning of the largest surge of Americans turning 65 in our nation’s history. By 2050, nearly one-quarter of the American population will be 65 or older.” Attorney General Miyares stated. As our population ages, rates of elder abuse are expected to rise, but my office is proactively confronting this head-on.”

Families who make the difficult decision to entrust their relatives to strangers in a medical or support facility need the advocacy this office can provide. One out of every 10 Americans over age 65 has been victims of elder abuse, yet only one out of 24 cases are reported to the authorities, according to the National Center on Elder Abuse.

The agency will help coordinate the efforts of law enforcement to investigate and prosecute instances of elder abuse.

“Our elderly population will no longer live in fear,” Miyares said at a press conference. 

There is still more that needs to be done to protect older people, but this new center shows that taking care of seniors and making sure they are treated with respect is important. As more and more people get older, we need to have robust systems in place to stand up for their rights and keep them safe.