Readers may be aware that certain professionals, including doctors and social workers are required to call the police in Colorado if they suspect that a child is a victim of domestic violence. Currently, the state does not have a similar mandatory reporting requirement for suspected cases of elder abuse, but some are working to change that, despite several defeats in recent years.

While the proposed law is well-intentioned, opponents say, it would put a strain on state services for vulnerable adults and could lead to false accusations against caregivers for the elderly. Similar bills have not gotten out of the committee stage in the Colorado Legislature. The closest elder-abuse advocates came to getting a reporting requirement passed came in 2005, when the bill was vetoed by then-Gov. Bill Owens.

Adult Protective Services handles reports of elder abuse for the state government. The agency has a fairly high number of cases to investigate per worker at 31. The recommended standard is 25 cases per worker at a time. So whether a new mandatory reporting law is effective may depend on whether the state provides additional funding. The executive director of the Denver Domestic Violence Coordinating Council said she would support the idea, but only if increased funding is attached.

The issue of possible false reports on health care workers and relatives is also a serious concern. For example, for a nursing home or home health care worker, a charge of elder abuse could impact their ability to work in the future.

Source: Denver Post, "Colorado advocates push mandatory reporting law for elder abuse," Sara Burnett, Oct. 24, 2011