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Passing responsibilities down to lower levels of government should be undertaken primarily to place services closer to the people being served and to maximize administrative

Deficit-reduction efforts should avoid cuts in programs that serve low- and moderate-income populations. 

Congress should reauthorize the Elder Justice Act (EJA). It should fully fund the EJA and other programs that address elder abuse.

Policymakers should devise Silver Alert programs to alert the public to missing older adults with appropriate protections and limitations. 

The subject of an alert must: 

States should simplify estate planning. This includes allowing the use of electronic wills or trusts to govern the distribution of property at death.

States should expand laws on durable powers of attorney to: 

States should codify, simplify, and clarify trust laws. They should model them on the Uniform Trust Code.

Policymakers should encourage advance care planning. This should include the creation of advance directives. 

States should enact laws that: 

Policymakers should simplify, expedite, and minimize the cost of probate. Changes should allow informal or administrative probate procedures for wills and for appointing personal representatives.

Federal policymakers should expand programs to improve guardianship. This should include monitoring programs.