Harris County Senior Justice Center Opens In Houston

HOUSTON, TX — Harris County Protective Services has launched a unique new program designed to combat abuse of elderly citizens.

The program, known as the Harris County Senior Justice Center, is the first of its kind in Texas and is designed to help those seniors who are victims of abuse and neglect.

The Senior Justice Center, which was symbolically announced on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, is modeled after similar services for children and was made possible through a state funded grant from the Office of the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division for $383,000.

“These are not just one of our most vulnerable populations, but also the most valuable. Seniors have already contributed to our community; ensuring their continued safety from others and themselves is the community’s way of contributing to them,” said Claudia Gonzalez, Adult Services administrator said in a press release.

The program is a partnership between HCPS, Adult Protective Services, Houston Police Department, Harris County District Attorney’s Office, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Harris County Attorney’s Office and UT Health, and is designed to unite victims with professionals who have expertise in geriatric medicine, protective services, civil and criminal prosecution and law enforcement, KPRC reported.

Dr. Carmel Dyer, a professor of geriatric medicine at UTHealth's McGovern School of Medicine, told the Houston Chronicle that the lessons learned from treating victims of child abuse and neglect could be applied to helping the elderly.

Image: Pedro Ribeiro Simões via Flickr

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