Adult Protective Services cracks down on elder abuse, exploitation
BY DAN MORRIS
AUGUST 16, 2009
Scott Walley saw it almost daily among the elderly - abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, even self-neglect.
"It is incredible what we find just right here in Madison County," Walley said in June. He was a social counselor with Adult Protective Services, a unit within the Tennessee Department of Human Services, before being promoted to another department in July.
"Our mission is to investigate any allegations we receive," Walley said. "The volume of referrals has increased tremendously in the past few years. And it's not limited to certain socioeconomic or racial categories. It's happening all over town."
Walley said some cases are horrific.
"We've had cases where the relative takes the client out of the nursing home, sticks them in a room in the house and leaves them there, just so the relative can live off the client's Social Security check," Walley said. "But a majority of the time, they won't allow them to go to the nursing home in the first place."
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