Sen. Nice holds study on elder abuse through coercive control

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Nikki Nice presented an interim study Wednesday to the Public Safety Committee looking at a pattern of elder abuse known as coercive control. Nice told the committee that while most people think of the abuse of seniors in terms of physical assault that may cause bruises, broken bones or more severe injuries, it can also be a pattern of behavior designed to strip victims of their autonomy, safety, and dignity. Nice said she first tackled the issue after being approached by advocates with the Oklahoma Silver Haired Legislature (OSHL) as well as hearing from constituents seeking help.

“Someone in a position of trust, a spouse, partner, or other family member, or even a neighbor, caregiver or professional deliberately isolates an older adult from their family, monitors everyday choices, restricts their access to basic necessities, and steals their assets,” Nice said. “Last session, I authored Senate Bill 1728 to add coercive control to Oklahoma’s Protection from Domestic Abuse Act. While we were able to get the bill out of committee, it did not receive a floor vote. After this interim study, it is clear that this could help victims before the worst has occurred.”

Among those testifying before the committee was Dr. Thad Woodward, who shared how his own father became a victim of coercive control. After his mother died, his father eventually met and married a woman who isolated him from friends and family, then gained complete control of all his assets and legal protections.

“In the end, our father lived out his life, his final days, in a less than adequate medical facility, riveted with bed sores, crying out for help,” Woodward said. “Three days before his death, he was squeezing my sister’s hands begging her to help him, but there was nothing she could do, or any of us.”

Woodward said three days later, the stepsisters decided to pull the plug on his father without notifying his own children, and he died screaming in pain. He said the woman and her family had taken $1 million to $1.5 million of his father’s assets, despite Woodward and his siblings spending upwards of $500,000 on legal fees, exhausting their college, retirement funds, and savings. He said the legal system had failed them.

“It was one of the most frustrating experiences of my life. The process was cold, uncaring, disorganized, and disengaged. It was more about one-upmanship and legal shenanigans than anything else. No one seemed to be interested in the truth. No one seemed to care anything about my father,” Woodward said. “The state needs to do something. This should not happen. We beg this committee to help us do it.”

Other presenters included AARP Oklahoma Associate State Director Joy McGill; State Long-Term Care Ombudsman William J. Whited; Ombudsman General Council, Charles Dickson with the Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General; and the Honorable Linda Morrissey, retired judge with Tulsa County. The committee was told that coercive control was an epidemic and only expected to increase with a coming “silver tsunami” in the next few years as the percentage of Oklahomans over 60 will exceed those under 18. Presenters also testified that adding a definition of coercive control to the statutes would give law enforcement an important tool for addressing this kind of elder abuse.

“Neil’s Law, HB 1566, was signed into law in 2025, giving vulnerable adults or their legal representatives the ability to sue individuals for abuse, neglect, or exploitation – that’s important progress, but it only addresses this kind of abuse after the fact,” Nice said. “Adding a definition of coercive control to the Protection from Domestic Abuse Act would help us go after abusers before they have wrecked their victim’s life and stolen all their assets. I plan to reintroduce this legislation for the 2027 session.”

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For more information, contact:  Sen. Nikki Nice at 405-521-5531 or Nikki.Nice@oksenate.gov