Georgia House Panel Backs Tougher Penalties Against Elder Abuse

A Georgia House panel on Monday approved a bill that would toughen penalties for operating an unlicensed personal care home, raising a first offense to a felony from a misdemeanor.

The vote came after compelling testimony from Marietta Police Chief Dan Flynn, who described to the House Health and Human Services Committee two cases of abuse in unlicensed Cobb County homes.

In one case, Flynn said, a woman in her 50s with dementia was kept in a garage in a “sweltering hot” home and was deprived of food and medicine.

The owner in that case, after a plea bargain, was given just a one-day sentence, with credit for time served, Flynn said.

“That really got our attention,” he said.

Full Article and Source:
Georgia House Panel Backs Tougher Penalties Against Elder Abuse