Georgia Injury Law Blog
DeKalb County, Emory Healthcare Partner to Care for Abused Elderly
It is one of the first such initiatives anywhere in the country, and as Atlanta elder abuse lawyers, we are extremely proud that DeKalb County will be home to an exclusive elder abuse shelter and treatment center. DeKalb County prosecutors and Emory Healthcare are partnering up to provide a safe haven for senior citizens who are abused and have nowhere else to go.
Under the partnership, emergency workers will bring patients would have been abused to the geriatric center at Emory Health Care, which is donating a few beds for this very purpose. These elderly persons will be treated, and then be examined to look for any signs of physical abuse, and if the doctors determined that abuse has taken place, prosecutors will move in to prosecute the cases.
Abuse victims will be given free beds at the Wesley Woods Center where they will have a place to recover. This facility will also be available to those who have no insurance. Under the current system, elder abuse victims are taken to the Grady Memorial Hospital, where they’re treated for their injuries and then released without any further treatment. The victims have then no choice but to go back to the environment in which they were abused, thereby continuing the vicious cycle.
There’s another big advantage to this kind of shelter for elder abuse victims. It allows for preserving elder abuse evidence that can be used during prosecution.
This is a wonderful initiative, and we wish it all success. It’s very important for elderly victims who are being subjected to physical or mental abuse, to know that they’re not alone, and that there is a place where they can not only heal and receive comfort, but also begin the process of punishing those responsible for their abuse.