The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported last week that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is cracking down on unlicensed personal care homes that are mistreating elderly and disabled clients.

The words from the head of Georgia’s Bureau of Investigation were simple. “We’re going after them,” said GBI Director Vernon Keenan.

According to the article, the GBI has “taken the lead on about eight busts over the past year, and it is participating in two task forces, one to create a protocol to shut down illegal care homes, and another to write a manual for district attorneys on how to convict the operators.”

Back in 2012, state agencies began enforcing more thorough inspections of personal care homes by the Department of Community Health. They had the help of a new law that, for the first time, “criminalized the operation of an unlicensed personal care home, making the first instance a misdemeanor and the second a felony.”

Prior to that law, an unlicensed home owner was simply issued a warning to get a license and given a month or so to make it happen. Since then, officials are making examples of perpetrators who are caught mistreating older adults and disabled clients under their care. For instance, an Austell woman recently pleaded guilty to 47 charges in connection with an unlicensed personal care home. According to the AJC, she was sentenced to 10 years to serve in custody and 10 more on probation.

Unfortunately, even with the pledged cooperation among state departments and further reinforcement from the GBI and the newly passed law, unlicensed homes are still hard to expose.

Shady operators showcase licensed homes to entice prospective clients, then relocate clients to an unlicensed home after the family members leave. Residents of the unlicensed homes receive marginalized care and, in some cases, are stolen from and much worse.

Keenan plans to go in pursuit of the worst offenders who have been identified by the Division of Healthcare Facility Regulation. He has a list of 30 operators and will involve local law enforcement to shut down those operators.

“We don’t have the resources to handle this work for the entire state,” Keenan said. “The whole objective would be to engage local law enforcement to handle problems in their communities.”

To notify officials about a suspected unlicensed personal care home, call Healthcare Facility Regulation at 404-657-5726 or 800-878-6442.