We are asking Keisha Lance Bottoms and Rick Jackson to share how they plan to address Georgia’s elder protection failures and what specific reforms they would support to protect elderly and disabled Georgians in all 159 counties.
Regardless of political party preference, we should all be able to agree on one principle: elderly and disabled Georgians deserve to be safe in their homes and protected when they become victims of abuse and violence.
A BROKEN SYSTEM IN GEORGIA:
A formal Open Records Request to Georgia’s Department of Human Services (DHS) and Adult Protective Services (APS) uncovered an alarming truth:
The State of Georgia DOES NOT maintain aggregated statistics sufficient to determine whether APS referrals to investigative or prosecutorial agencies are actually received, opened, investigated, or resolved with enforcement action.
In short, Georgia cannot reliably determine what happens to many elder abuse cases after they are referred for further action.
WHY THIS SYSTEMIC FAILURE IS DANGEROUS:
Without meaningful accountability and outcome tracking, serious questions remain unanswered:
- Are elder abuse and elder violence cases disappearing without a trace or accountability?
- Are referrals reaching the appropriate agencies?
- Are referrals being lost or ignored?
- Are investigations being opened?
- Are cases being resolved?
- Are offenders being held accountable?
- Are escalation failures documented?
- Is Georgia’s elder protection system functioning as intended?
- Are county authorities adhering to state protocols or operating independently of them?
FEDERAL OVERSIGHT AND CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS ARE URGENTLY NEEDED:
Georgia's elder protection failures raise concerns that fall within the oversight responsibilities of key committees in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives.
When vulnerable elderly and disabled residents are placed at risk because of systemic failures, transparency and accountability become urgent matters of public importance.
Click here to download a copy of the formal letter sent to key U.S. Senate Committees.
THE CATALYST BEHIND THIS GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT:
This movement began after Georgia authorities refused to investigate serious crimes committed against my elderly, disabled mother, Daisy Alford, in Paulding County.
Even with video evidence, Georgia authorities claimed “no laws” existed to stop these crimes, including the dangerous targeting of our home with explosives.
As a society, we cannot allow abuse and violence against the elderly and disabled to become the accepted norm in Georgia or anywhere else in the United States. Nor should we allow those elected to serve and protect the public to convince us otherwise.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
- Please share this petition update with three people today.
- Keep sharing the #Justice4DaisyAlford petition across social media and within your networks.
EVERY SIGNATURE COUNTS:
Every signature helps amplify the calls for justice, accountability, transparency, and reform.
Together, we can—and will—help ensure that elder abuse, elder violence, and systemic failures are no longer ignored. Thanks to your support, #Justice4DaisyAlford remains Georgia's largest elder justice petition. We are nearing 5,000 signatures!