Lawmakers Advance Plan For New Elder Abuse Registry

Those convicted of certain crimes could have their names added to a proposed registry.

(Indianapolis, Ind.) - There could soon be an publicly-available list of people convicted of abusing the elderly in Indiana. 

Lawmakers in Indianapolis yesterday gave their first okay to a plan that would create an online Elder Abuse Registry. Senate Bill 36 passed the Senate Family and Children Services Committee on Monday, sending the legislation to the Senate floor.

Republican State Senator Randy Head (R-Logansport) authored the bill. 

“If you, for instance, are concerned about a family member going into a nursing home, you can get the names of people who work there and check them against the registry. Nursing homes who area hiring people can check the names of respective applicants and see if they are on the registry,” explained Head.

It would work similar to the sex offender registry in that a conviction for certain crimes would land people on the list, and that list would follow people throughout the state. The registry would be available on a website maintained by the Indiana Office of Judicial Administration.

Projections show one in every five Hoosiers will be age 65 or older by 2030.

“That’s a growing marketplace for those who may be looking to take advantage of vulnerable adults,” Chris Naylor with the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council told the committee.