Elder Abuse Task Force honors local agencies for assistance
The message at a recent awards ceremony for those who have stepped in to help elderly residents is that the safety and welfare of vulnerable populations depend on people speaking out when they suspect there is harm being done.
People in critical need of help will often stay out of sight due to embarrassment or fear, but not all cases that are reported to authorities will require criminal action. In some instances there is significant poverty or lack of awareness about resources that can help families.
In one case, the Floyd County Police Department received information from a doctor’s office based on questions that were asked during a routine visit. Investigators worked with the district attorney’s Victim Witness Assistance Program to secure housing and medical equipment to help the elderly patient live a more comfortable life.
The Northwest Georgia Elder Abuse Task Force recognized their efforts.
Miriam Little, a social worker with Harbin Medical Oncology, and Sandy Kunneman, director of the program at the Floyd County District Attorney’s Office, recently received the task force’s Pat King Award.
Little believed her patient was living in unsafe and unsanitary conditions and because she trusted the opinion of Kunneman, the pair worked together to resolve the patient’s circumstances.
In his letter of recommendation to the Elder Abuse Task Force, FCPD Maj. Jeff Jones wrote: “Without a doubt, the assistance and care that both Kunneman and Little unselfishly provided to the elderly lady rescued her from a dangerous environment and improved her wellbeing.”
The Pat King Award was established in honor of a nurse who went beyond normal duties to assist her community and improve the lives of others. It is awarded to citizens and professionals who act out of compassion.
In that same award ceremony, the task force recognized Assistant District Attorney Natalee Staats for her work in assisting a 75-year-old woman who had been scammed out of $60,000 in a wire fraud. She had been contacted by a judge friend from another circuit about the case and she contacted local police to resolve the matter and return money to the elderly victim.
Others recognized for that same case during an earlier ceremony were FCPD Investigator Amber Lopez, Judge J. Edward Hilary of Haralson County and Brandon Trapp, a bank teller at Synovus Bank.
The most recent awards were presented during a banquet hosted at the Rome Braves.