Over the next 20 years, the elderly population will likely outnumber the child population in this country. The combination of this rapidly growing population and the latest assessments of the increasing rate of established cases of elder abuse suggests that the problem of elder abuse will continue to grow without significant deterrents and intermediation. Due to age-related declines in cognitive functioning and other vulnerabilities such as mobility difficulties, isolation, medication use, and addiction, older adults are particularly attractive to criminal predators (Lindberg, Sabatino and Blancato, 2011). Elderly financial exploitation is a particularly burdensome 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 elder financial exploitation was approximately $2.9 billion in 2009. Additionally, there are many forensic challenges to identifying and prosecuting cases of elder abuse or neglect in terms of mental and physical disorders. competence and the ability to give consent (Greenlee, 2012). There are not enough programs to address the distinct issues of older victims and, essentially, “elder abuse deprives older adults of their safety, health, and financial resources” (Greenlee, 2012, p. 7). There are currently two significant pieces of legislation that address issues of elder abuse. The Old Americans Act must undergo a reauthorization process every five years. Over the years, numerous adaptations have been made to the law. At present, four sections apply to elder abuse, mainly in the form of research process, grant eligibility...... middle of article......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., and Blumenthal, R. (2012). Elder abuse: what is the role of the federal government? Generations, 36(3), 106110. Lindberg, BW, Sabatino, CP and Blancato, RB (2011). Bringing National Action to National Shame: The History 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 Elder Financial Abuse: Crimes of Opportunity, Desperation, and Predation Against America's Elders. Accessed December 9, 2013, from https://www.metlife.com/assets/cao/mmi/publications/studies/2011/mmi-elder-financial-abuse.pdf