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Working Together to Protect Seniors from Abuse

In the pursuit of safeguarding elderly and at-risk individuals in Rockdale County (GA), the PEARL Program (Protecting our Elderly and At-Risk with Resources for better Living) has emerged as a beacon of hope and support.

PEARL employs a multi-disciplinary team approach to address the critical and growing issue of elder abuse.

The program is dedicated to these 5 areas of focus.

1. Establishing Definitive Program Protocols: By creating clear and effective protocols, the PEARL Program ensures a systematic and organized approach to addressing cases of elder abuse.

2. Identifying Special Program Needs: Regular case reviews enable the team to identify unique program requirements, ensuring that the elderly and at-risk individuals receive the specialized care and assistance they need.

3. Enhancing Education and Training: The team continually works to improve the knowledge and skills of its members and associates. This commitment to ongoing education guarantees that the PEARL Program remains at the forefront of elder abuse prevention and intervention.

4. Assisting Prosecutors in Achieving Convictions: The PEARL Program supports prosecutors in their pursuit of justice by providing valuable insights and evidence necessary for successful convictions against perpetrators of elder abuse.

5. Preserving Protective Processes: The program’s mission is to uphold and preserve the protective processes designed to prevent elder abuse, creating a safer environment for seniors and at-risk individuals in Rockdale County.

Prompt reporting of alleged abuse is a cornerstone of the PEARL Program’s efforts. This swift response ensures that elderly and at-risk adults are promptly removed from abusive situations and offered resources to aid in their recovery. Moreover, abusers and perpetrators are held accountable, both criminally and civilly, whenever their actions warrant.

The PEARL Program has been recognized as one of only three multi-disciplinary teams in the State of Georgia, an acknowledgment highlighting the program’s effectiveness in addressing elder abuse and ensuring the well-being of the area’s elderly and at-risk adults.

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Georgia County Brings Back Veteran Transportation

(From the Rockdale Newton Citizen Newspaper)

Getting to medical appointments at the Veterans Hospital in Decatur and the VA clinics in Covington and Stockbridge just got easier for Rockdale County veterans.

Veterans can now take advantage of the Veteran Transportation Program, which provides a specially-designed vehicle called the Eagle, to transport them to medical appointments. The service is available to honorably discharged Rockdale County veterans of any age.

Veterans may be picked up for the trip at either their home, the Veterans Affairs Office, or at Rockdale Senior Services. The Veteran Transportation Program offers additional personnel to assist the veteran in and out of their appointments along with open spots for caregivers to attend the appointment with their loved one.

>>Read more here