In an informal hearing, witnesses testified about stopping abuse of the elderly by long-term care workers. Topics included the need for, and the benefits of, S. 1577, the Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act of 2007, which would establish a nationwide system of background checks to prevent those with criminal histories from working in long-term care settings. One woman testified that her grandmother was sexually assaulted by a man with a criminal record who worked in a care facility.