Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer on Wednesday said it was time to bring elder abuse into the spotlight.

In a conference call with reporters, Schumer unveiled the Elder Justice Act, which he said would give state and local governments the tools and funding needed to fight elder abuse and prosecute those responsible.

Schumer said that in 2007, 1,299 cases of elder abuse were reported in the Rochester and Finger Lakes area, but that a study from the Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Aging reports more than 80 percent of abuse may go unreported, raising number of people abused to around 6,495 in the Rochester and Finger Lakes area.

"It's time to shine light on a serious problem that for too long has hidden in the shadows," Schumer said.

With an aging baby boomer population that will soon swell the number of elderly people, Schumer said federal legislation will be needed to standardize and assist state laws and programs aimed at stemming elder abuse.

Read the full report in Thursday's edition of The Citizen.