Springfield, Illinois - The Senate Special Committee on Aging, under the leadership of Chairman Herb Kohl (D-WI), will hold a hearing entitled, "America's Invisible Epidemic: Preventing Elder Financial Abuse" on November 15. A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on the problem will be released at the hearing.

The National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) applauds Senator Kohl for this important effort to raise awareness of elder financial abuse. Adult Protective Services (APS) are on the frontline of protecting older persons from financial as well as other types of abuse and neglect, which victimize approximately one in ten older persons. It is APS which investigates allegations of abuse of vulnerable older persons and intervenes to stop the abuse and to protect the victims. This hearing follows on the heels of NAPSA's annual National Elder Financial Exploitation Summit, which brought together leaders from APS, government agencies, law enforcement, prosecutors and the financial services industry to identify successful strategies to address elder financial abuse.

This hearing will focus on prevention efforts to combat elder financial abuse through new federal, state and private sector initiatives. Frank Abagnale, whose early life was the subject of the best-selling memoir and blockbuster film "Catch Me If You Can," will be among the witnesses testifying. 

WHAT:  Senate Special Committee on Aging Hearing - America's Invisible Epidemic: 

Preventing Elder Financial Abuse

WHEN: Thursday, November 15, 2:00 p.m.

WHERE: 562 Dirksen Senate Office Building

WHO: Frank Abagnale, Consultant, Abagnale & Associates, Washington, D.C.

Kay Brown, Director, Education, Workforce and Income Security, Government Accountability Office, Washington, D.C.

Hubert "Skip" Humphrey III, Assistant Director, Office of Older Americans, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Member of the Elder Justice Coordinating Council, Washington, D.C.

Paul Smocer, President, BITS, Financial Services Roundtable, Washington, D.C.

Paul Greenwood, Deputy District Attorney, Head of Elder Abuse Unit, Family Protection Division, San Diego, Calif.

The hearing will be webcast from the committee webpage:  www.aging.senate.gov<http://www.aging.senate.gov/