Washington, DC - The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) are forming a working group to focus on ways to empower and to support rural and tribal communities to combat elder abuse and financial exploitation.  Today on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, we collaboratively embark on a mission to work with older Americans in this Nation to improve their quality of life as envisioned by the Report to the President from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity.

The Nation’s seniors are treasured and revered members of our communities.  Too often, however, seniors are targeted by unscrupulous criminals for fraud or are subjected to abuse.  Factors more common in rural and tribal communities--including large geographic areas that elongate response time, fewer services and service providers, and limited access to broadband-- create additional challenges to identifying and combatting elder fraud and abuse in rural and tribal communities.

DOJ and USDA resolve to marshal our collective resources and expertise to enable rural and tribal communities to more effectively combat elder abuse and financial exploitation.  We are forming a working group to develop recommendations and will jointly present strategic action steps in November 2018 at the Department of Justice’s Rural Elder Justice Summit in Des Moines, Iowa.