ATLANTA - Officials from Wesley Woods Center of Emory University and the Office of the DeKalb County Solicitor-General today officially formed a first of its kind partnership to identify and protect elderly abused citizens within DeKalb County.
In celebration of national Elder Abuse Prevention Month, Emory and the Office of the DeKalb County Solicitor-General formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create the nation's first special protection pathway dedicated to vulnerable adults during a reception at Emory University Hospital.
"This is a historic day here in DeKalb County and a major success for our older residents. This collaboration brings together a number of partners and community stakeholders needed to address the growing and often underreported crime of elder abuse," said DeKalb County Solicitor-General Robert James. "From our first responders to our trained volunteers, we are now equipped to serve vulnerable adults who may be abused, neglected or exploited here in DeKalb."
Solicitor-General James, State Senator Ronald Ramsey, Emory Healthcare's Dr. Thomas Price, Emory's Wesley Woods Center's Chief Operating Officer Albert K. Blackwelder and the VALARI (Vulnerable Adults Living At Risk Invisibly) taskforce recently partnered to create the protection pathway initiative aimed at addressing a growing need for protective services specifically for elder and vulnerable adults in DeKalb County.
"As a geriatrician, I understand that our seniors represent a unique population as far as medical illness and complexity of treatment. Sometimes these people find themselves in the unfortunate circumstance of requiring others to
