Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening.
You know, the abuse of vulnerable Maine people, especially older adults, is an insidious problem. One in ten older Maine people experience abuse or exploitation, most often committed by someone they actually trust. But only one in 24 cases is actually reported to law enforcement.
Far too often, older adults are alone and isolated, and they depend on only one or two people, sometimes family members, for their well-being, and they're hesitant to ask for help. Eradicating abuse is a shared responsibility, and it requires state government, law enforcement, organizations, and financial professionals to work together to protect older adults.
As District Attorney and later as Attorney General, I prosecuted many crimes against older Maine people. And in 2014, I convened a task force to combat financial exploitation of older people. With that, we made changes to judicial case management--so prioritizing these cases--changes to staffing, and changes to specialized training for law enforcement officers, in order to ferret out abuse and investigate it in a more effective and streamlined fashion.
In 2019, as Governor, I signed into law "An Act to Protect Vulnerable Adults from Financial Exploitation," which requires certain professionals who suspect financial exploitation to report those concerns to the Office of Securities or Adult Protective Services. In that same year, I signed an executive order to create the Elder Justice Coordinating Partnership, and in 2022, I created the Cabinet on Aging to make sure that my administration is doing everything we can to break down silos and take every step to protect the dignity, safety, and rights of older Maine people.
Recently, I announced the 2026 Maine Elder Justice Roadmap. That's a report that outlines the progress we've made and which recommends priorities for the next administration through 2028. That progress includes investing $4 million in the budget with the support of the Legislature to reduce abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older adults and adults with disabilities. That funding is being used to hire more Adult Protective Services staff at the Department of Health and Human Services and to support free legal aid through the Legal Services for Maine Elders Agency.
We also created the first Elder Justice Investigator at the Department of Public Safety, and we added training for law enforcement recruits at the Criminal Justice Academy so that they can all recognize signs of elder abuse. These were all important steps, but with nearly 30% of Maine's population expected to reach the age of 65 or older by 2032, we can do more to prevent exploitation and abuse.
This newest report by the Elder Justice Partnership identifies 13 major priorities for the next administration in order to prevent elder abuse. These include gathering more data on the quality of long-term care settings, so families can make informed choices about the care their loved ones might receive, and it includes training members of the public who interact with older adults to recognize and report signs of abuse. And it includes developing an Elder Justice Officer Certification at the Criminal Justice Academy.
In response to one of the Elder Justice Partnership's recommendations recently, I signed an executive order to allow them to continue their work with the Cabinet on Aging, building on the progress we've made. I also proclaimed June 15th as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day in Maine.
You know, as the oldest state in the nation, Maine has both a responsibility and an opportunity to lead until we put an end to elder abuse and neglect and financial exploitation. If you have any reason to believe that an older adult in Maine is being abused, neglected, or exploited, please call Adult Protective Services at 1-800-624-8404. That's 1-800-624-8404.
This is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening.