Within the next 20 years the population of elderly people will likely surpass that of children in this country. The combination of this rapidly increasing population and the latest assessments of the increasing rate of confirmed cases of elder abuse suggest that the problem of elder abuse will continue to grow without significant means of deterrence and intermediation. Due to age-related declines in cognitive functioning and other vulnerabilities such as mobility difficulties, isolation, medications, and addiction, older adults are particularly attractive to criminal predators (Lindberg, Sabatino, & Blancato, 2011). Financial exploitation of older adults is a particularly complex issue to address due to the difficulties in identifying complex financial transactions as unauthorized (Greenlee, 2012). According to the MetLife Mature Market Institute (2011), the estimated national cost of senior financial exploitation in 2009 was approximately $2.9 billion. Furthermore, there are many forensic challenges in identifying and prosecuting cases of elder abuse or neglect in terms of mental and physical disorders. competence and ability to give consent (Greenlee, 2012). There are insufficient programs to address the distinct problems of elderly victims and essentially “elder abuse is robbing older adults of their safety, their health, and their financial resources” (Greenlee, 2012, p. 7). legislation that addresses the problem of elder abuse. The Older Americans Act must go through a reauthorization process every five years. There have been many adaptations to the law over the years. Currently, there are four sections that apply to elder abuse primarily in the form of research processes, eligible grants...... middle of document ......rican Geriatrics Society, 60(11), 2151- 2156. Doi:10.111/j.1532-5415.2012.04211xGreenlee, K. (2012). Take a stand against elder abuse. Generations, 36(3), 6-8. Kohl, H., Sanders, B., & Blumenthal, R. (2012). Elder Abuse: What is the Federal Role?. Generations, 36(3), 106110.Lindberg, B.W., Sabatino, C.P., & Blancato, R.B. (2011). Bringing National Action to National Shame: The Story of the Elder Justice Act. NAELA Journal, 7(1), 105-124. Retrieved from http://proxy.kennesaw.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login. aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=60268165&site=ehost-live&scope=siteMature Market Institute. (2011). The MetLife study of financial elder abuse: Casual crime, desperation, and predation against older Americans. Retrieved December 9, 2013, from https://www.metlife.com/assets/cao/mmi/publications/studies/2011/mmi-elder-financial-abuse.pdf