(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)
Act for Elder Justice - (Sec. 3) Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 (OAA) to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish or designate within the Administration on Aging an Office of Elder Abuse Prevention and Services. Makes it the duty of the Assistant Secretary for Aging, acting through the head of such Office, to develop and implement policy and a long-term plan to carry out elder justice programs and activities.
(Sec. 4) Establishes elder justice programs under OAA. Defines elder justice as: (1) efforts to prevent, detect, treat, intervene in, and respond to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation and to protect elders with diminished capacity while maximizing their autonomy; and (2) the recognition of an elder's rights, including the right to be free of abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
Authorizes the Assistant Secretary to award grants to States and Indian tribes for subgrants to eligible entities to strengthen long-term care and assist elder justice programs. Includes among authorized uses of such funds: (1) prevention, detection, assessment, and treatment of, intervention in, investigation of, and response to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; (2) testing of various safe haven models as elder shelters; (3) volunteer programs; (4) multidisciplinary activities; (5) training; (6) addressing underserved populations of elders; (7) incentives for individuals to train for, seek, and maintain employment providing direct care in a long-term care facility; (8) multidisciplinary community partnerships to develop innovative approaches for improving long-term care quality and preventing abuse, neglect, and exploitation in such care; and (9) multidisciplinary panels to develop best practices for improving long-term care quality and addressing abuse in such care, including resident-to-resident abuse. Authorizes appropriations for such grants for FY 2005 through 2008.