Kansas' attorney general is leading a nationwide push to identify elder abuse and find ways to help in the fight against the growing problem.
It's estimated that one out of every 10 elderly people who live at home in their later years will become a victim of abuse. Elder abuse can include physical abuse, neglect and financial abuse or exploitation.
It is a crime in Kansas to commit abuse on seniors which, by Attorney General Derek Schmidt's definition, includes anyone 65 and above. As of 2010, there were more than 40 million people over 65 in the U.S.
Schmidt was elected recently to a one-year term as president of the National Association of Attorneys General and has enlisted the AGs in every state to study the problem and come up with possible solutions.
The results will be presented at a summit in Manhattan, Kansas, next April.
--Aileen LeBlanc is news director at KMUW. Follow her on Twitter @Aileen_LeBlanc.
To contact KMUW News or to send in a news tip, reach us at news@kmuw.org.
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