Wednesday, April 17, 2002
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Wednesday, April 17, 2002 |
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Hecht pushes elder care legislation State Senator Greg Hecht last week presented elder care protection legislation that addresses harmful treatment of seniors, according to a statement from his office. HB 1585 expands the definition of cruelty to a person 65 years of age or older to include the wilful deprivation of sustenance, healthcare, and shelter to our seniors from their own home. If a person is in the care of another individual and the other individual wilfully and intentionally refuses to give food to the incapacitated elder, willfully and intentionally withholds medicine prescribed for the senior, or throws a senior out of their own home without any type of legal right, then the offender commits the crime of cruelty to a person 65 years of age or older. The legislation is aimed at preventing the financial exploitation and physical abuse of our seniors. It also provides exceptions for physicians and caretakers providing a prescribed medical regimen in a good faith attempt to follow the procedure. In addition, the bill tries to prevent abusive conduct, including starving our seniors. "It is hard to believe that individuals in certain care facilities or an individual's home would actually abuse our seniors in such a manner," said Hecht. "However, as an assistant district attorney, I saw some of these cases and could not believe that people could sink to this level of depravity. I am grateful to work with the AARP and Georgia Council on Aging to pass protective legislation." Hecht chairs the Corrections Committee, is Vice-Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, is Chairman of an Appropriations Subcommittee, and serves as a member of the Insurance and Labor Committee.
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