Staff Report
MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Senior Citizens Hall of Fame named Senator Cam Ward Statesman of The Year at their annual Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony in Montgomery this evening. Senior Services Commissioner Neal Morrison and Hall of Fame Chairman Warner Floyd both praised Sen. Ward’s commitment to passing 2013’s landmark Elder Abuse Law.
“This legislation has been a long time coming for our state,” Morrison said. “For too long people have preyed upon the elderly in this state, and we have lacked the laws to find and punish them effectively.”
The Elder Abuse Laws include tools for law enforcement to use against people and companies whose practices result in harm to Alabama citizens over the age of 60, such as deception by commission or omission. Neglect, not feeding, sheltering or tending to the medical needs of an elderly person, whether harm is intended or not, is now against the law in Alabama.
“It is sad to say but there are people out there who see older people as easy prey, and they try to defraud them. There are others who just don’t want to do what is needed to ensure the health and safety in their care,” Floyd said. “Thanks to leaders like Senator Cam Ward we can now put these types of people in jail.”
The 2013 Alabama Senior Citizens Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony was held at First Baptist Church in Montgomery this evening. The annual ceremony honors the people in Alabama who do the most to help senior citizens.
“This is what government is for – to help the most vulnerable of our citizens get the care and safety they deserve,” Ward said. “It’s an honor to receive this award, and it’s an even bigger honor to be a part of something that will make sure the grandmothers and grandfathers, aunts and uncles of our state can grow old in safety and dignity because we can now punish those who specifically prey on them.”
