Tennessee Begins to Enforce Stricter Laws for Elderly Abusers
June 26, 2007
According to the Department of Human Services’ Adult Protective Services Division, abuse cases against the elderly have risen 25 percent in the past five years in America.
Care for the elderly, particularly in Tennessee, is to blame for this staggering rise of abuse where a number of caregivers’ stealing morphine from the bodies of ill patients to make money and the raping of bed-ridden patients has been a probing problem for many.
Magnified Nursing Home Case
When Kathy Gentry went to visit her 78-year-old father in a Tennessee hospital, she was horrified to discover that her father’s right ear lobe had been chopped off.
Gentry’s father, James Graham, who had Alzheimer's disease, had been assaulted by one of the nurse’s in the home where he had been residing.
Elderly Abuse on the Rise
Crimes like the one committed against Graham appear to be on the rise according to state figures.
The General Assembly recently passed legislation for elderly abusers to have reports of a felony on their records.
A law, which will be effective July 1, also prohibits elderly abusers from getting their records dismissed.
"These people need to be dealt with harshly,'' said Rep. Dennis Ferguson, a Midtown Democrat and one of the bills' sponsors. “This is something that should have been done years ago."
Will New Laws be Effective?
The head of the elder abuse unit in San Diego, Paul Greenwood, says that he is relieved that these kinds of crimes are finally being increased to felonies in Tennessee.
"I was rather shocked," he said, "as I have spent time traveling around the country teaching on the subject, to find that in a lot of states, these crimes are still being perceived as being misdemeanors, and it baffles me why that is."
"They have such a way to go before they are able to help these people,'' Gentry states.
Do you know someone who has been a victim of elderly abuse? Contact us today to speak with an attorney who will help you and your loved ones receive compensation you are owed.
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