American Samoa's Administration on Aging director, Tifimalae Ale, says elderly abuse is a problem in the Territory.
He says based on reports from home visits by his staff, many elderly people have needed help from special service providers because of their situations.
Tifimalae says they regularly see cases where senior citizens have been in a tug of war with their children over their food vouchers.
In one recent case a 90-year-old had missed out on food vouchers, because her daughter had been collecting them on the false pretense that she lived with her.
Tifimalae says many elderly people are facing similar problems with their social security benefits.
He says his group will be delivering educational activities to make families understand the psychological effects of the mismanagement of elderly benefits, and they are also trying to get funding to hire a full time nurse to help with home visits.
