Elderly and disabled people, locked in their rooms, not fed adequately, living in filth.

It should be a crime, right? Well, it is, if the home they’re living in is an unlicensed personal care home — and there are estimated to be hundreds operating throughout the state.

Trouble is, until recently, the crime was a misdemeanor, and shutting down one of these places is a complex undertaking, requiring the coordination of several agencies.

The upshot? Very few have been shut down. But that may be changing, as the Georgia Bureau of Investigation takes aim at this growing problem in Georgia.

Read the full story, exclusively on MyAjc.com.

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Ernie Suggs, a reporter at the AJC since 1997, reviews a selection of articles he has contributed to during his time with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, as of Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

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